Harrisburg, PA – Today, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis joined the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR), and local representatives to highlight Pennsylvania’s progress in implementing the Commonwealth’s first tracking system, strengthening transparency and accountability while providing survivors with greater visibility into the status of their evidence.
Governor Josh Shapiro signed Act 122 of 2024 into law, launching the Commonwealth’s effort to establish a statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system and build a more accountable process for survivors. The Shapiro-Davis Administration is now putting that law into action, with PCCD working alongside hospitals, law enforcement agencies, forensic nurses, and laboratories to pilot the system in Erie, Lancaster, and York Counties before its statewide launch in December.
As leaders, we need to do everything we can to help victims feel safe and whole again. If a victim is able to summon the strength to go through the process of getting a sexual assault examination, they deserve to know their kit is being handled with care and attention, and that their case is a priority,” said Lt. Governor Davis, who serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
“In Pennsylvania, between 2023 and 2025, there were about 3,800 reported rape cases each year, and less than half of them were cleared. This new tracking system will not only keep victims informed but it will help them get the justice they deserve. It takes all of us to ensure that survivors are supported — from police to healthcare to victim services — through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, we’re ensuring they’re all on the same page and helping survivors get their power back.”
Since 2023, the Shapiro-Davis Administration has secured $19.5 million in funding for the Victims Compensation Assistance Program (VCAP), including $4.5 million in the 2026-27 budget to help ensure victims and survivors can continue accessing financial assistance in the aftermath of crime. The 2026–27 state budget also includes a $12 million increase for rape crisis centers—nearly doubling state support and ensuring that survivors who reach out for help receive the critical services they deserve.
“Because of this work, survivors and the public can be confident that evidence is handled properly and that every step in the process is clearly defined,” said Dr. Debra Bogen, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. “Most importantly, we want to focus on the needs of person at the center of each case. Survivors deserve to be heard, supported, protected, and treated with dignity at every step.”
For survivors who report sexual assault, preserving evidence through forensic exams is essential to holding offenders accountable. Because kit testing can be lengthy, automated tracking systems help survivors monitor their kit’s progress, improve efficiency, reduce delays, and support a faster, more transparent criminal justice process.
“For years, too many survivors have been left in the dark about what happened to evidence collected during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. They have carried the added burden of waiting, wondering, and searching for answers they deserved," said Joyce Lukima, Coalition Director and COO of PCAR.
"Pennsylvania’s sexual assault kit tracking system will help replace that uncertainty with transparency, accountability, and a greater sense of control. Survivors deserve to know their evidence is being handled with care and that they have not been forgotten. This system moves Pennsylvania closer to a future where every survivor feels informed, supported, and empowered throughout the path forward.”
In January 2025, PCCD secured a $2.5 million competitive federal award to support system design; implementation; and training through PCAR for hospitals, law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, and victim service professionals statewide.
In mid‑2026, PCCD began testing the new Track‑Kit system in three pilot sites—Erie, Lancaster, and York Counties—working with 12 local hospitals, 64 local law enforcement agencies, forensic nurses, and labs to streamline the sexual assault kit testing process. These county pilots are helping PCCD improve the system, address training and technical needs, and ensure the process is consistent, transparent, and centered on survivors, prior to the statewide rollout in the end of 2026.
“Pennsylvania’s Sexual Assault Kit Tracking program is the result of a collective commitment by law enforcement, state leaders, and advocates to support and seek justice for victims,” said Major Colette Smith, Director of PSP’s Bureau of Forensic Services.
“PSP understands the need to investigate sexual assault cases thoroughly and expeditiously while keeping survivors informed every step of the way. This tracking program is a critical resource that does just that, strengthening transparency, accountability, and trust between survivors and law enforcement.”