Tipton Applauds Passage of Katie’s Law in House

Washington, DC— Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO) called today’s passage of the federal version of Katie’s Law (H.R. 6014) in the House “a blow to violent criminals, and a victory for their victims.” Tipton, who has pushed for a federal version of Katie’s law since being elected to Congress, is an original co-sponsor of the bill. The House passed the bill with a voice vote.

H.R. 6014 seeks to authorize the Attorney General to award grants for states to implement minimum and enhanced DNA collection processes. The legislation identifies an offset (cut) in federal spending to pay for implementation of the program, so there is no added cost to taxpayers.

Tipton passed Katie’s Law in Colorado when he was a state legislator and it was signed into law.

“In Colorado, Katie’s Law has a proven track record of helping law enforcement take dangerous criminals off the streets, undoubtedly preventing future crimes. Today’s passage of Katie’s Law is a blow to violent criminals, and a victory for their victims and law enforcement,” said Tipton. “This common sense bill takes an important next step toward bringing Katie’s Law to a national scale and will further strengthen law enforcement’s ability to track down the most violent offenders, close cold cases, and keep our women and children safe.”

Tipton spoke on the House floor in support of Katie’s Law just prior to passage. Watch video of the speech here.

Background:

Katie’s Law is named after Katie Sepich, a young woman who was raped and murdered in Las Cruces, NM. Her killer was arrested following her death, but it wasn’t until three years passed that he was convicted of a felony and his DNA was collected, linking him to Katie’s murder. Currently 25 states and the federal government have passed legislation to collect DNA samples from felony arrestees and submit them into the Nation DNA Index System (NDIS). The federal version of Katie’s Law would provide incentives for states to participate in this program, expanding the size of the NDIS and building its effectiveness.