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SB 564

Sexual Assault; the maintenance of physical evidence collected from an alleged sexual assault; extend

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Harold Jones and 3 co-sponsors

Georgia bill extends how long physical evidence from sexual assault cases must be preserved by law enforcement, enabling longer-term investigations and cold case work.

Senate Read and Referred
#criminalprocedure
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Bill Summary · SB 564

Legislative bill overview

SB 564 addresses the retention and maintenance of physical evidence collected from alleged sexual assault cases in Georgia. The bill extends requirements for how long law enforcement and forensic laboratories must preserve such evidence, likely modifying existing evidence retention timelines. This legislation appears designed to ensure evidence remains available for longer periods, potentially supporting cold case investigations or post-conviction review.

Why is this important

Sexual assault survivors and their advocates have long identified evidence preservation as critical—DNA and physical evidence can exonerate the innocent, support prosecutions years after crimes occur, and provide closure to victims. Extended evidence retention windows can be particularly significant in cases where suspects are identified later or where new forensic technology becomes available. However, evidence storage requires resources and creates institutional burdens for law enforcement agencies.

Potential points of contention

  • Storage costs and resource burden: Extended retention periods increase expenses for evidence facilities, potentially straining law enforcement budgets without corresponding funding increases
  • Statutory vs. indefinite retention: Disagreement over whether evidence should be kept indefinitely, for set periods, or only until case resolution and appeals are exhausted
  • Scope of covered offenses: Questions about whether retention extensions apply only to rape/sexual assault or broader offense categories, and whether there are distinctions based on conviction status

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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