TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - Gov. Rick Scott is seeking $8.5 million to help process a backlog of nearly 11,000 untested rape kits.
Scott announced his proposal in a news release issued Wednesday. The money would be used to upgrade Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime laboratories.
It would be spent on lab equipment, DNA database upgrades and crime scene vehicles. Scott's office said that will reduce the turnaround time for processing evidence, including rape kits.
Attorney General Pam Bondi held a news conference in September calling for more money to process rape kits. Earlier this month, FDLE reported that at least 10,900 rape kits from 262 agencies haven't been processed.
It costs about $800 to $1,000 to test each kit.
