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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Pennsylvania’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI)

    On November 13, 2024,  Governor Shapiro signed Act 122, to establish a statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system. This law is part of a broader effort to improve community safety and accountability in the handling of sexual assault cases and provides survivors with greater transparency, assurance, and accountability that their cases are being handled effectively and with care.

    Questions? E-mail RA-OVS-SAKI@PA.GOV
    View the Track-Kit Onepager

    Pennsylvania has implemented Track-Kit, a secure, web-based sexual assault kit tracking system, to fulfill the requirements of Act 122 of 2024.
    This system:

    • Allows health care facilities, law enforcement, and forensic laboratories to enter key dates for each kit—from collection through analysis.
    • Gives victims/survivors the option to confidentially track their kit and receive automatic status updates.
    • Provides 24/7 help desk availability. 

    In December 2024, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) was awarded a $2.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance to help Pennsylvania:

    •  Implement an electronic statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system to inventory, track, and test sexual assault kits (SAKs);
    • Support survivors of sexual violence by giving them the ability to confidentially monitor the status of their sexual assault kits throughout the testing process; and
    • Conduct a full inventory of all unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits.

    To guide the SAKI, Pennsylvania has created a multidisciplinary team (MDT) made up of experts and stakeholders from across the state. The MDT plays a critical role in ensuring the initiative is effective, coordinated, and survivor-centered by:

    •  Assisting with the coordination of the inventory process.
    •  Supporting the implementation of the statewide automated tracking system.
    •  Facilitating communication among healthcare providers, law enforcement, forensic labs, and victim service providers.
    •  Identifying barriers and solutions to improve the collection and tracking of sexual assault kits.

    The MDT meets regularly to share expertise, inform decision-making, and promote public safety while maintaining a victim-centered response. Key stakeholders represented on PA SAKI’s MDT include:

    • Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect
    • Pennsylvania Department of Health
    • Pennsylvania State Police
    • Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs)
    • Medical advocates
    • Local law enforcement
    • Victim service providers
    • Forensic laboratories
    •  Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association
    • Prosecutors
    • Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
    • Children’s Advocacy Centers
    • The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

    Additionally, to support Pennsylvania’s SAKI implementation, the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) in partnership with PCCD, will provide training and technical assistance to health care professionals, law enforcement, and rape crisis centers, including print and digital resources to provide critical information to the field and virtual and in-person trainings. This partnership will ensure that the tracking system is configured and implemented in ways that support and optimize victim notification protocols and services.

    As part of the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, Pennsylvania is conducting a statewide inventory of all unsubmitted and partially tested sexual assault kits in possession of local law enforcement agencies and hospitals across the Commonwealth.

    • This effort is required by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance to ensure no kit is overlooked.
    • PCCD is using a phased inventory approach that accounts for varying population densities, resources, and law enforcement infrastructure.
    • The inventory began in July 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2028.

    Once identified, all eligible kits will be submitted to state laboratories for testing.

    Track-Kit: Pennsylvania’s Sexual Assault Kit Tacking System

    Frequently Asked Questions 

    Before contacting support, we encourage you to explore the questions and answers below—your question may already be answered!

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    FAQs for All Stakeholders

    Explore the FAQs below to learn how Track-Kit, Pennsylvania’s statewide sexual assault kit tracking system, works, including agency responsibilities, survivor access, and available support resources.

    A sexual assault kit (SAK) is a collection box with specialized tools, swabs, and containers. Medical professionals use it during a forensic exam to gather and preserve biological samples which may contain evidence, such as DNA, from a survivor's body and clothing.

    Track-Kit is Pennsylvania’s statewide sexual assault kit tracking system. It is a secure, web-based system that tracks SAKs from collection through testing and storage for applicable statute of limitations and final destruction. All SAKs collected at a medical facility on or after December 14, 2026, will be entered into the system.

    Pennsylvania selected Track-Kit to meet the requirements of Act 122 of 2024, which directs the Commonwealth to implement a statewide electronic tracking system administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). The system is designed to give survivors secure access to information about the status of their kit while also supporting coordination among healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, and forensic laboratories.

    Track-Kit is used by agencies responsible for documenting key stages of the sexual assault kit process, including medical facilities, law enforcement agencies, and forensic laboratories.

    A Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault (DFSA) Kit is a kit offered to a survivor to determine if drugs or other substances are present in their system at the time of the assault. Track-Kit does not currently track DFSA Kits.

    No. Track-Kit is designed specifically to track sexual assault kits and does not track other evidence, such as clothing.

    No. Once an out-of-state law enforcement agency is selected in Track-Kit to take custody of the kit from a Pennsylvania medical facility or law enforcement agency, that SAK will no longer be tracked in the system.

    The portal administrator can add or remove personnel from their agency’s Track-Kit site and is responsible for ensuring that agency information remains accurate and up to date. The Portal Administrator can also query their agency’s portal and generate audit reports.

    No. Pennsylvania law clarifies that Track-Kit is a survivor-facing resource and does not replace existing agency systems, official evidence records, or chain of custody documentation. Under Section 3.1(g) of the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection (SATEC) Act, Track-Kit data does not reflect the official status of the SAK and cannot be used to challenge chain of custody in a criminal proceeding.

    Pursuant to SATEC, medical facilities must notify the responsible law enforcement agency within 12 hours after collecting a SAK that it is ready to be picked up. Law enforcement agencies have 72 hours after they have been notified to pick up the SAK from the medical facility. If the SAK is not picked up within 72 hours from notification, the medical facility shall contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-724-3258 for assistance.

    Once the law enforcement agency picks up the kit from the medical facility, they have 15 calendar days to submit the SAK to the laboratory if consent for forensic testing is provided.

    All Track-Kit entries must be made by no later than noon the next business day.

    Survivors can use the Survivor Portal to confidentially view status updates about their sexual assault kit. Survivors will be able to:

    • View the current location of their SAK
    • See when their SAK is transferred between agencies
    • Opt-in to receive notifications via email and/or text when the status of their SAK changes
    • Access contact information for involved agencies
    • Find support resources
    • Use safety features such as the quick exit button

    No. Survivor use of the portal is voluntary. A survivor may choose to use Track-Kit, opt in to notifications, ask for support using the portal, or choose not to access the system at all.

    No. Survivors with questions about investigative information or testing results should be directed to the assigned law enforcement agency or other appropriate case contact.

    Survivors should be encouraged to complete security questions upon their first time logging into the Survivor Portal so they can reset their password if needed.

    If a survivor loses their credentials before logging in, they must contact the medical facility or law enforcement agency associated with their SAK to retrieve or reset login information. For anonymous kits, the medical facility can support the survivor in retrieving login information.

    Survivors may choose to have their login credentials provided to the medical advocate, if present at the time of the exam, or to their local rape crisis center.

    Please contact InVita Health 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by either using the chat feature while logged into the system or emailing track-kit.support@invitahealth.com. You may also contact PCCD at RA-OVS-SAKI@pa.gov.

    FAQs for Medical Facilities

    Explore the FAQs below for guidance on medical facilities’ responsibilities in Track-Kit, including sexual assault kit collection and tracking, barcode procedures, survivor consent, and Survivor Portal access.

    Medical facilities document the collection of sexual assault kits (SAKs), enter required collection information, identify the law enforcement agency that will take custody of the SAK, provide survivors with their Track-Kit Survivor Portal login credentials, and assist with password resets when appropriate. Medical facilities may also manage SAK inventory and receive SAK orders through Track-Kit.

    Medical personnel must enter or confirm required information such as:

    • Date the SAK was collected
    • Name of the Collector
    • Whether a survivor is a minor
    • Consent for forensic testing
    • Law enforcement agency to take custody of the SAK
    • Anonymous reporting choice, if applicable

    No. Medical facilities must continue to follow existing medical forensic exam procedures, documentation requirements, evidence handling practices, mandatory reporting obligations, internal policies, and community protocols. Track-Kit does not replace the medical facility’s existing responsibilities and policies.

    As part of implementation, medical facilities will be provided with sets of barcode labels to use for existing SAK inventory. Each set contains five (5) identical barcode labels for a single SAK. Barcode labels should be applied as follows:

    • One (1) label on the short side of the SAK, as pictured here:
    Two white sexual assault evidence collection kit boxes displayed side by side, with TRITECH Forensics branding on the left and SIRCHIE branding on the right. Each box features a rectangular area for a barcode label.
    • One (1) label on the first page of the Consent for Collection and Release of Evidence and Information Form.
    • One (1) label on the Chain of Custody Form.
    • One (1) label on the first page of the Discharge Instructions.
    • One (1) label on the first page of the Anonymous Reporting Form, if applicable.

    Ensure that all five barcode labels from the same set are used together so that the SAK and all associated documentation display the same barcode number.

    Please also handwrite the barcode number on all additional evidence collected from the patient (e.g., clothing, Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault Kit, or other evidence) so it can be associated with the same survivor. If an Anonymous Reporting Form is not used, the unused barcode label may be applied to additional evidence. Future shipments of Pennsylvania SAKs will include additional barcode labels following full statewide implementation.

    If you have any questions or need additional barcode labels or Survivor Cards, please email RA-OVS-SAKI@pa.gov and include the number of barcode label sets and Survivor Cards you are requesting.

    Pennsylvania has three Anonymous Reporting options:

    1. 1

      Option A

      Report and Test: The survivor chooses to report the assault, allowing healthcare providers to submit the medical-forensic documentation to law enforcement with all the survivor’s identifying information redacted, and consents to having the SAK tested.

    2. 2

      Option B

      Report and Hold: The survivor chooses to report the assault, allowing healthcare providers to submit the medical-forensic documentation to law enforcement with all the survivor’s identifying information redacted, and does not consent to having the SAK tested.

    3. 3

      Option C

      The survivor does not report the assault to law enforcement and does not consent to testing. Healthcare providers do not submit a copy of the medical-forensic documentation to law enforcement. Law enforcement stores the SAK for the maximum applicable statute of limitations.

    Important Note: Survivors under age 18 cannot choose an anonymous option.

    No. Track-Kit is a means for survivors to confidentially check the status of their sexual assault kit and does not require survivors to speak to law enforcement.

    Medical facilities must provide the survivor with their Track-Kit Survivor Portal login credentials—the SAK barcode number and temporary password—and instructions for accessing the Survivor Portal. A survivor card is provided with each SAK that contains this information. These cards are included with the SAK labels provided to medical facilities as part of implementation and will be included in the SAK itself in the future. Make sure to let the survivor know that the username is always the SAK barcode number, not an email address or a self-created username.

    Medical facilities should follow their facility and jurisdictional policies and procedures regarding consent for the medical forensic examination and the release of information to a minor survivor.

    If the survivor is below the age at which they may provide consent under facility policy, provide the Track-Kit Survivor Portal login credentials to the parent, legal guardian, or other legally authorized custodian, as appropriate.

    When the minor survivor can provide consent for their own medical forensic examination, the Survivor Portal login credentials can be provided directly to the survivor.

    If the survivor wishes to change their consent to forensic testing after the exam, the medical facility shall direct the survivor to contact their local rape crisis center or the law enforcement agency handling the case for assistance.

    If the jurisdiction is unknown or located outside Pennsylvania, the medical facility should notify the Pennsylvania State Police or follow your SART or county protocol.

    FAQs for Law Enforcement

    Explore the FAQs below for guidance on law enforcement agencies’ responsibilities in Track-Kit, including sexual assault kit tracking, evidence management, forensic testing, survivor consent, and notification requirements.

    Law enforcement agencies are responsible for documenting key points in the sexual assault kit (SAK) tracking process, including pickup from a medical facility, agency custody, submission to a laboratory when applicable, transfer to another law enforcement agency when needed, receipt back from the laboratory, storage, and eligible discard actions.

    No. Track-Kit does not replace an agency’s existing chain-of-custody documentation, evidence management system, or other required records. Law enforcement agencies should continue to follow all applicable policies and procedures for documenting the receipt, transfer, storage, submission, and disposition of sexual assault kits and related evidence.

    Under the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection (SATEC) Act, law enforcement must pick up a SAK within 72 hours after being notified by a medical facility that one has been collected. If pickup has not occurred within 72 hours, the medical facility must notify the Department of Health through the designated process.

    First, law enforcement should enter the SAK barcode on the Track-Kit home page. Law enforcement must then enter or confirm required information such as:

    • Date the SAK was picked up
    • Name of the officer that picked up the SAK
    • Law Enforcement Agency Case Number

    If you are picking up and transporting a SAK on behalf of another law enforcement agency, you may not be required to enter anything into Track-Kit. If the hospital selected the end jurisdiction law enforcement agency as the agency to take custody of the SAK, you would not have to complete anything within the system.

    However, if the hospital selects your department as the agency to take custody of the SAK, you will need to receive the SAK within the system and transfer it to the end jurisdiction law enforcement agency.

    If a survivor does not consent to forensic testing of the SAK, law enforcement is to store the SAK according to agency policy. Pennsylvania law requires evidence without consent for testing, be preserved and stored for the maximum applicable statute of limitations.

    Any time a survivor changes their consent for forensic testing, this must be documented in Track-Kit, including the date they changed their consent.

    If the survivor initially consented to forensic testing but later revoked their consent, Track-Kit will move the SAK to the Storage (Unreleased) worklist once the system is updated.

    If the survivor did not initially provide consent for forensic testing, but later provides consent, Track-Kit will move the SAK to the LEA Custody (Pre Lab) worklist once the system is updated. The law enforcement agency has 15 days from the time consent was given to submit the SAK to the laboratory.

    No. It is encouraged that all SAKs with consent for forensic testing are submitted to the forensic laboratory, which includes Anonymous A sexual assault kits. However, if it is determined that the case is unfounded (crime could not have occurred based on investigative information), if the victim recanted, or if the victim revoked consent, the SAK does not need to be submitted for forensic testing.

    Law enforcement agencies should store the SAK according to agency policy until it is eligible to be discarded.

    Prior to discarding a SAK, the law enforcement agency should review the SAK Discard Guidance document to ensure the SAK is eligible to be discarded.

    No. Track-Kit shall be considered a supplemental notification mechanism only. Information made available through Track-Kit does not satisfy or replace the obligation of law enforcement to provide direct, timely, and trauma-informed notification to survivors.

    FAQs for Forensic Laboratories

    Explore the FAQs below for guidance on forensic laboratories’ responsibilities in Track-Kit, including sexual assault kit tracking, testing timelines, evidence processing, and status updates.

    Forensic laboratories track receipt of sexual assault kits (SAKs) from law enforcement agencies, testing completion dates, pickup readiness, and processing cancellations.

    Laboratories must enter or confirm required information such as:

    • Lab case number
    • Date SAK was received by the laboratory

    Track-Kit assumes that if the laboratory receives a sexual assault kit that was not entered by the medical facility or law enforcement agency, consent for testing has been provided. Enter the SAK barcode number, select the law enforcement agency the SAK was received from, and follow the normal steps to receive the SAK at the laboratory.

    Under the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection (SATEC) Act, the laboratory must complete testing or analysis of submitted sexual assault evidence within six (6) months from the date the evidence is received.

    Yes. If the victim recanted, or the victim revoked consent, the laboratory can use the Cancel Lab Processing feature in Track-Kit.

    Once testing is completed, the laboratory enters the lab completion date and indicates whether the SAK is ready for law enforcement pickup.

    No. Track-Kit only documents the status and location of a SAK; it does not provide forensic testing results to survivors. When the laboratory enters a lab completion date, the survivor sees that processing is finished, but test results are not processed.

    FAQs for District Attorneys & Prosecutors

    Explore the FAQs below to learn about Track-Kit’s role in Pennsylvania’s sexual assault kit tracking process, including prosecutor responsibilities, system access, survivor notifications, and evidence management.

    Some county detective bureaus may have access to Track-Kit and operate as a law enforcement agency within the system. However, District Attorney’s Offices will not have access to information in Track-Kit. If the office wishes to have information about the status of sexual assault kits in their county, you can request a report from PCCD by contacting RA-OVS-SAKI@pa.gov.

    No. Track-Kit is a tracking system and survivor transparency tool. It does not replace prosecutor case management systems, law enforcement investigative files, laboratory results, evidence review, or other criminal processes.

    Pennsylvania law provides survivors with rights related to information about the status of evidence analysis and notification at key points. A survivor may designate another person or victim-serving entity to receive certain notices, such as when a SAK is sent for testing and when a CODIS hit is received. It is important to note that Track-Kit does not replace required victim notifications.

    The Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) developed discard guidance for sexual assault kits for law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement agencies are directed to consult with the prosecuting agency prior to discarding a sexual assault kit.

    Please Note: PCCD has requested law enforcement agencies to not destroy any SAKs that were collected prior to August 5, 2024, due to the statewide SAK inventory being conducted. For more information regarding PCCD’s statewide SAK inventory, please contact RA-OVS-SAKI@pa.gov.

    No. Pennsylvania law states that the tracking system serves as a resource for the survivor. Information entered into Track-Kit does not serve as the official status of the SAK and is not admissible to challenge chain of custody in a criminal proceeding.

    District Attorney’s Offices can support the use of Track-Kit by coordinating with law enforcement, laboratories, medical facilities, and rape crisis centers.

    FAQs for Advocates

    Explore the frequently asked questions below to learn how advocates can support survivors in accessing and navigating Track-Kit, including information about the Survivor Portal, login credentials, and reporting options.

    No. Advocates do not have direct access to Track-Kit.

    At the time of the medical forensic exam, survivors receive a card with their login credentials and instructions on accessing the portal independently. This includes the link to the Survivor Portal, the barcode number associated with their sexual assault kit (SAK), and a temporary password. The Survivor Portal can be found at pa.track-kit.us

    No. A survivor’s choice to use Track-Kit does not change a survivor’s reporting choices.

    No. Advocates cannot independently access or retrieve SAK information from Track-Kit. With the survivor’s permission, an advocate may support the survivor in accessing the Survivor Portal while the survivor is present.

    Advocates should encourage survivors to complete their security questions to ensure they can reset their own password if they lose or forget it. Survivors should be encouraged to follow the recovery instructions through the portal to reset their password.

    If a survivor loses their login credentials, an advocate can support the survivor in reaching out to the medical facility or law enforcement agency associated with their SAK to retrieve their login information.

    If the survivor completed an anonymous SAK, the medical facility can support the survivor in retrieving their login information.

    If requested by the survivor, the rape crisis center can securely and confidentially store the survivor’s login credentials in the event the survivor may later forget or lose their login information.

    Please Note: The username is the SAK barcode number, not the survivor’s email address or self-created username.

    Survivors will be able to see the following:

    • Kit collected
    • Kit transferred to law enforcement
    • Kit submitted to laboratory
    • Testing in progress
    • Testing completed
    • Kit storage and/or destruction

    No. While the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency strongly encourage the testing of all sexual assault kits, law enforcement retains discretion under Pennsylvania’s Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection (SATEC) Act to determine whether a kit will be sent to a laboratory for testing. This means that even if a survivor consents to having their kit tested, there may be circumstances where law enforcement decides not to submit the kit for testing.

    No. Testing a kit does not automatically result in arrest, charges, prosecution or conviction. However, testing can support investigations, identify serial offenders and preserve evidence.

    Advocates should refrain from the following:

    • Making promises about outcomes
    • Interpreting legal or forensic findings beyond your role
    • Pressuring survivors to check the Survivor Portal
    • Accessing survivor information without permission
    • Assuming all survivors want updates or engagement

    Track-Kit Training Videos

    Recorded training sessions are available to assist medical facilities, law enforcement agencies, forensic laboratories, and other stakeholders in understanding and using Track-Kit.

    Understanding Pennsylvania's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and Track-Kit

    On July 22, 2026, PCCD's Office of Victims' Services (OVS) and the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect (PCAR) held a webinar for advocates to better understand Pennsylvania's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and tracking system, Track-Kit.

    Track-Kit Overview and User Responsibilities

    To help stakeholders become familiar with the Track-Kit system and its purpose, we have created the short overview video above, "Track-Kit Overview and User Responsibilities," covering key features, benefits, and implementation plans. We encourage all partners involved in the handling, testing, tracking, or support of sexual assault kits to view the presentation.

    Track Kit Implementation Informational Session

    This informational session provides an overview of Pennsylvania’s statewide Track-Kit implementation through the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). The video outlines the purpose and goals of the system, agency roles and responsibilities, implementation requirements and timelines, and available training and support resources. Participants will also learn how to report issues, provide feedback, and prepare their agencies for the next steps in implementation.

    Resources

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    Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect

    The mission of the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect is to work to eliminate all forms of sexual violence and to advocate for the rights and needs of victims of sexual assault.

    Founded in 1975, PCAR works to end sexual violence and advocates for the rights and needs of all sexual assault victims. PCAR partners with a network of rape crisis programs to bring help, hope, and healing around issues of sexual violence to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

    Find Help in PA
    Call PCAR

    National Sexual Assault Hotline 

    Since 1994, RAINN’s victim service programs have helped over 5 million survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones with support and resources that promote healing, hope, and courage.

    When you contact RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline, you’ll find:

    • Confidential support from a trained support specialist
    • Resources for helping you heal and recover
    • Referrals for long-term support resources in your area
    • Information about the laws in your state
    Call the Hotline
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    Text "HOPE" to 66743

    This website is funded in part through a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).