Mariska Hargitay’s End The Backlog Campaign Achieves Rape Kit Reform In All 50 States, D.C. & Puerto Rico

Mariska Hargitay‘s End the Backlog campaign has achieved a milestone. All 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico have enacted at least one pillar of rape kit reform “in a testament to the power of sustained, survivor-centered advocacy,” the initiative announced Friday.

Maine is the 50th and final state to commit to the reform. Governor Janet Mills’ enacted budget (LD2212) commits $267,000 in annual funding to establish a statewide rape kit inventory and tracking system.

Since 2010, Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation’s End the Backlog initiative has been the driving force behind the national movement, the Six Pillars of Rape Kit Reform, described as a comprehensive, survivor-focused framework that became the national standard. The Six Pillars encompass everything from mandatory kit testing and statewide inventories to survivor notification rights and dedicated funding, “ensuring no kit, and no survivor’s story, is left behind,” according to the organization.

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