The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has implemented a new Limited Consent DNA Testing Program for survivors of sexual assault.
As Texas Public Radio reports, the program allows survivors to obtain a free forensic medical exam and have evidence collected and tested for foreign DNA even if an official report has not been made to law enforcement. Created under House Bill 1422 in the 2025 Texas Regular Legislative Session, A recently passed law requires DPS to develop procedures for testing evidence in these cases.
Kits will be processed within 90 days and evidence tested under program will be stored for a maximum of five years. The program officially began December 1, 2025. The first kit under the new program was collected the first week of the month.
The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) released a statement in support of the legislation explaining that survivors can take back some control, allowing them to come forward when they are ready.
Ahead of the vote in the state legislature back in late May of 2025, the Texas Policy Research Initiative (TPRI), which focuses on legislative insight, recommended the passage of HB 1422, writing that the measure, “represents a thoughtful and commendable response to serious gaps in the law.”
Sexual Assault Survivors in Texas Have a New Forensic Tool For a Future Criminal Case
