Wisconsin Senate approves sexual assault kit bills

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Senate has approved a pair of bipartisan bills that would establish protocols for collecting and tracking sexual assault evidence kits.

The first bill would require police who have been notified an evidence kit has been collected to take possession of it within three days and send it to the state crime lab within 14 days.

The second bill would require the state Department of Justice to create a database victims could access to follow their kits' status.

Advocates for sexual assault victims have been working with state Department of Justice officials for years to prevent backlogs and delays in testing the kits.

Similar bills died in the Assembly last legislative session.