Texas Senate bill by Sen. Flores mandates regular reporting on sexual assault evidence kits

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Peter P. Flores aims to improve transparency and oversight of sexual assault evidence kits by mandating regular reporting to state officials, local authorities, and the public, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with no opposition.

Meanwhile, in the House, 61 Democrats and 79 Republicans voted in favor, also with no opposing votes.

Peter P. Flores introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Flores graduated from Texas A&M University in 1983 with a BS.

Flores, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 24th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dawn Buckingham.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to reporting information regarding certain evidence collection kits’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill mandates annual and biennial reporting on the status of evidence collection kits related to sexual assault investigations in Texas. By December 1 each year, the responsible department must submit a report to state officials and the legislature, detailing the number of kits awaiting laboratory analysis and those not possessed by law enforcement within the required time. This report, titled “Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report,” must be available on the department’s public website. Additionally, every odd-numbered year, local response teams must provide county commissioners with a report, including member lists, protocols, and details of sexual assault reports, investigations, indictments, and evidence management. The bill takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. José Menéndez (Democrat – District 26) and Sen. César Blanco (Democrat – District 29).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Thursday, May 1, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday, May 14.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.