I
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10426
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2026
Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Mrs. Wagner, Ms. Adams, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Mackenzie, Ms. Norton, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Simon, Mr. Thanedar, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To improve the processing of samples of sexual assault evidence, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Backlog Justice Act of 2026
.
National sexual assault database
The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, shall establish, maintain, and update not less than annually, a publicly accessible online database of aggregated and anonymized data from inventories or audits conducted by States and units of local governments of the sexual assault evidence collection kits that have been submitted for testing and are in the possession of the State or unit of local government forensic service providers and shall include an estimate of the amount of time it takes for each laboratory, with respect to which data is submitted, to test a sexual assault evidence collection kit.
Training analysts to test samples of sexual assault evidence
Authorization
The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is authorized to develop and operate training programs at the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory—
for individuals hired by States and units of local government as analysts to test samples of sexual assault evidence, which may include training at the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory or at State and local laboratories;
pursuant to which individuals hired and trained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as analysts to test samples of sexual assault evidence, may be hired by States and units of local government upon completion of such training; and
for DNA Technical Leader training, including a curriculum to host both in-person and remote training sessions for technical leaders or trained DNA examiners seeking to become technical leaders.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this section may be construed to require a State or local forensic science services provider to participate in a program established under subsection (a).
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.
Validation and technology transfer program
Authorization
The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is authorized to convene and coordinate, in conjunction with State and local forensic science service providers, a validation and technology transfer program, pursuant to which the Federal Bureau of Investigation laboratory, in partnership with collaboratives of State and local forensic science service providers, may research new technologies and processes for processing DNA, and provide for use by State and local laboratories related to such technologies and processes—
analytical protocols;
developmental validation data; and
model forensic laboratory instrument performance verification plans.
Validation list
Upon completing the research described in subsection (a), the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is authorized to publish a list of validated technologies and processes, along with validation data and additional documentation related to each such technology or process.
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.
Increase in STOP grant funding for States that have in place electronic evidence tracking systems for sexual assault kits
Authorization
Beginning in fiscal year 2027, the Attorney General shall increase by not more than 10 percent the amount provided to a State under the part T of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10441 et seq.) if the State has in place an electronic evidence tracking system for sexual assault kits that complies with the requirements under subsection (b).
Tracking system requirements
In order to qualify for the grant increase under subsection (a), the tracking system shall be a website that provides information to survivors of sexual assault who underwent a sexual assault kit examination and their advocates on each stage of the processing of a sexual assault kit, including from the hospital, to a local law enforcement agency, through the analysis process at a forensic laboratory, to final disposition.
Period of increase
In general
The Attorney General shall provide an increase in the amount provided to a State under the program described in subsection (a) for a 2-year period.
Limit
The Attorney General may not provide an increase in the amount provided to a State under the program described in subsection (a) more than 4 times.
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.
Report on the state of the public forensic science enterprise
Report
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the Attorney General, in collaboration with the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall submit to the covered congressional committees and make publicly available a report on the status and needs of the forensic science community.
Requirements
The report required under subsection (a) shall be prepared in coordination with forensic science practitioners, medical examiners, coroners, Department of Justice forensic technical working groups, and forensic interagency working groups and shall—
examine the status of current workload, backlog, personnel, equipment, and training needs of State and local crime laboratories, medical examiners, coroners, and toxicology offices;
include consideration of the study of the National Institute of Justice entitled Needs Assessment of Forensic Laboratories and Medical Examiner/Coroner Offices: A Report to Congress
(2019) and other studies previously conducted by the Federal Government that are deemed appropriate by the collaborating Departments; and
include a strategic plan on how to address the needs identified in the report.
Covered congressional committees
In this section, the term covered congressional committees means—
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate;
the Committee on Science, Space and Technology of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions of the Senate; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.