Sexual Assault Survivors Can Now Test DNA without Police Intervention in Texas

After the latest announcement from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the state's new program will allow all survivors of sexual assault to test for DNA free of charge, without the involvement of law enforcement.

New Texas DNA Testing Program

Previously, sexual assault survivors in Texas were required to involve law enforcement if they wanted to have DNA tested. Now, thanks to HB 1422 and the new Limited Consent for DNA Testing Program, that requirement is eliminated.

Only evidence collected on or after December 1, 2025, is eligible for the new program.

Texas State Senator Joan Huffman marked this new program as the latest win for sexual assault survivors:

With the Limited Consent for DNA Testing Program now in place, survivors can take back some control, get critical evidence collected and tested at no cost, and decide later—on their own timeline—whether to move forward with a police report.

How the Limited Consent for DNA Testing Program Works

The way this new program works is that survivors of sexual assault can receive a Track-Kit, which will analyze the DNA within 90 days of it being submitted.

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Analysis will confirm whether foreign DNA was present or not. The survivor can now choose to report the assault along with the DNA obtained to law enforcement. They can also choose whether or not they consent to allow the DNA to be compared to other profiles in the national databases to be used in criminal investigations.

All evidence submitted via the Track-Kit has a maximum storage life of five years. Once the fifth year is up, the survivor is notified and then given three months to make a decision. If they decide not to send it to law enforcement by that time, the evidence is destroyed.