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
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