AUSTIN, Texas — On Monday, rape survivor, Ashley Spence, and founder of the victim advocacy organization DNA Saves, Jayann Sepich, will meet with lawmakers to discuss a new bill.
The new bill would strengthen current laws requiring the collection of DNA from every person arrested for a felony.
29 other states and the federal government currently have similar laws in place.
Jayann Sepich daughter, Katie Sepich, was murdered and in 2013 the federal government enacted Katie's Law in Jayann's daughter's memory.
"She did not know the man that murdered her," said Jayann. "she never met him that night."
The mystery of who killed 22-year-old Katie would probably not have been solved if it wasn't for a DNA test made.
Katie's murder happened in 2003. Her mother said Katie argued with her boyfriend, decided to walk home and that's when Katie was raped, brutally beaten and set on fire.
"Katie's Law" was enacted 10 years after her death.
"If it wasn't for that DNA test, we would have never had justice for Katie and stopped him from doing this to others," said Jayann.
Many feel that the collection of DNA for everyone arrested for a felony is an invasion of privacy.
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Katie's Law provides funding to states to implement minimum and enhanced DNA collection processes for those arrested for felonies.
Ashley Spence is a rape survivor that lives in Austin. Her attacker was identified through a match to an offender on California's arrestee DNA index, something similar to what they are pushing for here in Texas.
Her attack occurred in 2003, while she was in her apartment, but went unsolved for years. According to a release, in 2010, a DNA match was made to an offender in California whose DNA was collected for the felony of resisting arrest.
The two will meet with members of the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee and the Lt. Governor's staff Monday through Wednesday.
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