State Representative Reynolds joined Texas House colleagues in unanimously passing House Bill 8, the "Lavinia Masters Act", to eliminate the rape kit backlog in Texas. House Bill 8 -- a priority item for the 86th Texas Legislature -- accomplishes this goal by requiring the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to conduct an audit to determine the amount, location and status of untested rape kits in Texas, creating a time requirement for testing new forensic kits, increasing the statute of limitations for certain sexual assault offenses and requiring survivors to be notified 90 days in advance if their rape kit will be destroyed. House Bill 8 works hand-in-hand with the state budget to dedicate $38 billion to DPS for increasing crime lab capacity and eliminating the backlog.

House Bill 8 is named for Lavinia Masters, the Dallas survivor whose rape kit sat untested for more than two decades after she was raped at knifepoint at age 13. By the time the DNA evidence from Masters was tested, the 10-year statute of limitations to prosecute her rapist had expired and she was left without the ability to press charges. Though the Texas Legislature has made a number of strides to drastically minimize the backlog in recent years, thousands of rape kits still await testing, leaving survivors without justice and law enforcement with little ability to investigate and prosecute perpetrators.

"Rep. Reynolds and the Texas House took a step further in its pursuit to permanently end the rape kit backlog and empower victims of sexual assault to get the justice they deserve," said Speaker Bonnen. "Thousands of untested rape kits currently languish on laboratory shelves -- a shocking statistic that we must eliminate. Rep. Reynolds has been at the forefront of addressing this broken system and has sent a message to survivors -- your story matters. I'm proud of the Texas House for speaking up for survivors and ensuring their perpetrators are brought to justice.

Two in five Texas women and one in five Texas men have been sexually assaulted. Only around 9% of rape victims report these crimes to law enforcement, and when they do report it, they must undergo a deeply personal 4-6 hour forensic medical exam to collect DNA evidence. House Bill 8 affords survivors added reassurance that their evidence will be tested in a timely manner so that justice can be served.

Ron Reynolds represents Texas House District 27, which encompasses communities of Fort Bend County. Representative Reynolds currently serves as a member of the House Committees on Defense and Veterans' Affairs and Environmental Regulations.