Sexual assault kit tracking system

165.776 Sexual assault kit tracking system. (1) In this section: (a) “Health care professional” has the meaning given in s. 154.01 (3). (b) “Law enforcement agency” means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full-time by the federal government, a state, or a political subdivision of a state for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing federal or state laws or local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crimes while acting within the scope of their authority. (c) “Sexual assault forensic examination” means an examination performed by a health care professional to gather evidence regarding a sex offense. (d) “Sexual assault kit” means the evidence collected from a sexual assault forensic examination. (e) “Wisconsin law enforcement agency” means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full-time by this state or a political subdivision of this state for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state laws or local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crimes while acting within the scope of their authority. (2) The department shall establish a database, which shall be known as the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System, for the purpose of providing victims of sexual assault access to information about the status of any sexual assault kit the victim has provided. The database shall use electronic technologies to allow continuous, ongoing access to do all of the following: (a) Allow health care professionals collecting sexual assault kits, forensic laboratories, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the department to update and track the location and status of sexual assault kits, including the initial collection of evidence, receipt and storage at law enforcement agencies, receipt and analysis at forensic laboratories, and destruction. (b) Allow a victim of sexual assault to anonymously track the location and status of the victim’s sexual assault kit. Notwithstanding s. 165.79 (1), a victim may receive information relating to the location and status of the victim’s sexual assault kit. (3) (a) Whenever a Wisconsin law enforcement agency or a health care professional collects evidence in a case of sexual assault, the agency or professional shall enter the information required in the department’s rules under sub. (4) into the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System. (b) Whenever the crime laboratories perform deoxyribonucleic acid analysis of a sexual assault kit, the crime laboratories shall enter the information required in the department’s rules under sub. (4) into the Wisconsin Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System. (4) The department shall promulgate rules to administer this section. History: 2021 a. 117 s. 1; 2025 a. 130. enforcement officers to use to identify reports of missing persons or veterans at risk that are appropriate to disseminate under s. 175.51 (1m) or (1v), to determine the most effective methods and guidelines for the persons on the list maintained under par. (c) to use to broadcast or make public reports of missing persons or veterans at risk, and to receive feedback on the forms provided under par. (a) 1. and on the list maintained under par. (c). (c) The department shall maintain a list of persons that are engaged in broadcasting or outdoor advertising, that have agreed to be on the list, and that would be appropriate recipients of reports disseminated under sub. (1) (b) 2. (2r) The department shall maintain a list of persons that can effectively broadcast or make public reports disseminated under s. 175.51 (2m). The department shall ensure that the list includes persons engaged in broadcasting or outdoor advertising. (3) The department shall utilize only program revenue amounts credited and expended from the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (2) (gp) to develop, administer, and maintain the integrated crime alert network under sub. (1). History: 2009 a. 358; 2013 a. 264; 2015 a. 315; 2017 a. 175; 2023 a. 272.