Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act of 2017 or the SAFER Act of 2017

This bill amends the Innocence Protection Act of 2004 to modify requirements with respect establishing and implementing best practices for evidence retention.

The bill amends the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004 to require the Department of Justice (DOJ), in providing information about the role of forensic nurses to certain health-related entities, to provide information about the role of both adult and pediatric forensic nurses. DOJ must also provide additional information on the need for pediatric sexual assault nurse examiners in responding to the abuse of both children and adolescents.

The bill amends the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 to modify the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program:

• to add, as a purpose area, increasing the capacity of prosecutors to address the backlog of violent crime cases involving suspects identified through DNA evidence; and
• to reauthorize through FY2022 the requirement for DOJ to allocate a certain percentage of program funds for grants to audit backlogged rape kits.