For immediate release

Contact: Jeff Lungren/Terry Shawn

October 9, 2004 202-225-2492

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate today by voice vote approved landmark crime victims and DNA legislation introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.). H.R. 5107, the “Justice for All Act of 2004,” earlier had passed the House on October 6^th by a 393-to-14 margin. This action culminates over four years of effort in the House by Chairman Sensenbrenner, Reps. William Delahunt (D-Mass.), Mark Green (R-Wis.), Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), Ray LaHood (R-Ill.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and others.

Chairman Sensenbrenner stated, “I commend my Senate colleagues for finally passing this historic legislation. This bill will have a profoundly positive impact of many people involved in our criminal justice system.”

“For those who have suffered as victims of crime, this legislation etches into law numerous legal protections to ensure they do not feel victimized again by our judicial system. For those who tirelessly work to protect us every day, this legislation provides hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance to better utilize DNA technology to solve crimes and protect the public. For those few that are mistakenly convicted of a crime they did not commit, greater access to DNA testing will ensure that justice is administered correctly,” added Chairman Sensenbrenner.

Specifically, H.R. 5107 includes: (1) a new set of statutory victims' rights that are both enforceable in a court of law and supported by fully-funded victims' assistance programs; and (2) a comprehensive DNA bill that seeks to ensure that the true offender is caught and convicted for the crime

H.R. 5107 includes $755 million to enact President Bush’s initiative to reduce the backlog of unanalyzed DNA evidence. Experts believe hundreds of thousands of rape kits and other DNA evidence remains unanalyzed in crime labs across the country.

H.R. 5107 also incorporates the Innocence Protection Act, including authorizing $350 million over five years to improve the legal representation in death penalty cases. This legislation also includes greater access to post-conviction DNA testing as well as over $200 million over the next five years in additional grant money to train law enforcement, correctional, court, and medical personnel on the use of DNA evidence. This legislation funds research to improve forensic technology and authorizes $10 million per year in grants to states, local governments, and tribal governments to eliminate forensic backlogs.