Briel Bill Prohibits Deceptive Sales Targeting Survivors of Assault

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Committed to supporting survivors of sexual violence by filling gaps in our state’s criminal law, state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-Ottawa, passed a measure out of the House and Senate chambers prohibiting non-medical professionals from selling, marketing, promoting, advertising, or distributing a self-administered sexual assault evidence collection kit to a consumer.

“It’s currently lawful for any person on the street to advertise at home sexual assault evidence collection kits as an alternative to a medical forensic exam. However, this type of marketing and promotion is egregiously deceptive to survivors of sexual assault, who may turn to these kits in lieu of seeking real medical aid,” said Briel. “What’s most troubling is that these at-home kits are unlikely to hold up in criminal proceedings, resulting in impermissible evidence in survivors’ cases, and ultimately fewer convicted perpetrators of sex crimes.”

House Bill 2548 states that any person other than a medical professional may not sell or distribute self-adminstered sexual assault evidence collection kits to consumers, including promoting or marketing of any kind, in order to limit deceptive misinformation for survivors of sexual assault.

“When we bar non-professionals from promoting these kits, we encourage survivors to seek professional medical help while ultimately getting more offenders off the streets and brought to justice,” said Briel. “This bill makes it less likely for offenders to re-offend and allows survivors to have their voices heard — untampered.”

House Bill 2548 received unanimous House and Senate support and now heads to the governor’s desk for consideration.