FY24 National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

With this solicitation, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) seeks to:

• Provide jurisdictions (including rural and tribal) with resources to address unsubmitted sexual assault kits (SAKs) (including partially tested kits) in their custody that have not been submitted to a forensic laboratory for testing with Combined DNA Index System (CODIS)-eligible DNA methodologies.
• Improve investigations and prosecutions in connection with evidence and cases resulting from the SAK testing process, as well as other violent cold case crimes.
• Provide sites with resources to collect DNA samples from qualifying individuals who should have a sample in CODIS, but from whom a sample has never been collected or submitted to a laboratory for testing, as well as developing/reforming policies for arrestee collections, if legally permissible in the awardee’s jurisdiction.

In addition to addressing unsubmitted SAKs, the National Sexual Assault Kit Initiative addresses partially tested SAKs and untested evidence associated with sexually motivated homicides and other violent cold case crimes.

Solicitation Categories:

• Purpose Area 1: Comprehensive Approach to Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kits
• Purpose Area 2: SAKI for Small Agencies
• Purpose Area 3: Collection of Lawfully Owed DNA
• Purpose Area 4: Investigation and Prosecution of Cold Case Sexually Motivated Crimes
• Purpose Area 5: Developing and Implementing a Sustainability Plan
• Purpose Area 6: National Cold Case Initiative

Eligible Applicants:

• Native American tribal governments (federally recognized)
• Other
• The following entities are eligible to apply for Purpose Areas 1 and 3:
  • Other: State law enforcement agencies
  • Other: Units of local government
  • Other: Governmental nonlaw enforcement agencies acting as their fiscal agents
  • Other: Prosecutor’s offices
• The following entities are eligible to apply for Purpose Area 2:
  • Other: Small law enforcement agencies or consortia of small law enforcement agencies. For the purposes of this solicitation, “small law enforcement agencies” are defined as agencies that have fewer than 250 sworn officers or a consortia of small agencies.
• The following entities are eligible to apply for Purpose Areas 3, 4, and 6:
  • Other: Jurisdictions that have addressed their unsubmitted kits (including partially tested kits) and have clearly demonstrated they have also addressed the downstream case activities (crime analysis, investigation, prosecution as applicable) for at least 75 percent of the associated cases under the jurisdiction’s control and/or authority. Jurisdictions do not have to be an existing or previous SAKI grantee to qualify for Purpose Areas 3, 4, and/or 6, but the jurisdiction should be prepared and able to clearly demonstrate it meets the qualifications outlined herein in its application or the application may not proceed to peer review.
• The following entities are eligible to apply for Purpose Areas 5:
  • Other: Existing and/or previous SAKI grantees that have addressed their unsubmitted kits (including partially tested kits) and have clearly demonstrated they have also addressed the downstream case activities under SAKI (investigation, prosecution) for at least 75 percent of the associated cases under the jurisdiction’s control and/or authority.

See the solicitation for additional opportunity and eligibility details, as well as directions on how to apply.