A bill establishing a statewide tracking system for sexual assault evidence kits in North Carolina has been approved by a state Senate committee.
The bill also orders the creation of a working group to determine priority for the testing of about 15,000 backlogged rape kits. Some lawmakers have questioned where the money would come from for the changes.
State Attorney General Josh Stein has said it would cost about $10 million to test the entire backlog of kits. The bill now goes to another committee.