Judiciary committee backs bill allowing DNA-based rape prosecutions and 15-year kit retention

On Sept. 25, 2025, the Massachusetts House Judiciary Committee reported that House Bill 4536 ought to pass, recommending changes that would let prosecutors file charges for certain sexual offenses any time after the crime if a suspect's identity is later established through DNA and would require sexual assault evidence kits to be retained for at least 15 years. The committee reported the bill to the House; the filing date for the bill was Sept. 15, 2025. The bill was filed as An Act to establish a DNA exception rule for victims of rape (House No. 4536), accompanied originally by House No. 1987.

The measure would amend multiple provisions of the General Laws. It inserts a retention requirement into section 97B 1/2 of chapter 41 to require that "all kits shall be retained for no less than 15 years." It further amends the same section to add language stating enforcement provisions apply "notwithstanding the statute of limitations of the underlying offense." Finally, the bill adds a paragraph to section 63 of chapter 277 to allow an indictment or complaint for offenses enumerated in sections 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 23, 23A or 23B of chapter 265 to be found and filed at any time after the date of the offense if two conditions are met: (1) the identity of the alleged offender was identified after the statute of limitations had run; and (2) that identity was established through a DNA record, as defined in section 1 of chapter 22E, using evidence collected at the time of the offense.

The document accompanying the bill names Adam J. Scanlon and Hannah Kane among the petitioners and notes that the Judiciary Committee, "For the committee," submitted the report under Michael S. Day. The committee report recommends passage but does not include debate, recorded votes, or amendments in the text provided.

The proposed change targets prosecutions for the listed offenses in chapter 265, which the bill text cites by section numbers. The bill ties the exception to identification established through a DNA record as defined in chapter 22E and to evidence collected at the time of the alleged offense. The text does not specify implementation details such as who will pay for long-term kit storage or how kits will be catalogued and accessed.

No floor action, vote tallies, or committee roll-call votes are included in the report text provided. The committee's recommendation moves the bill forward in the legislative process; any subsequent votes, amendments, appropriations for evidence retention, or judicial review would be recorded in later committee reports or House records.