This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
Published on September 26, 2019, Kaitlyn Dever, the star of Netflix's 'Unbelievable', has taken her advocacy for sexual assault survivors to the next level by speaking with members of Congress about the Debbie Smith Act.
The bill, which aims to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of thousands of unanalyzed rape kits, is set to expire on September 30 if Congress fails to act. In an Instagram post, Dever revealed that she had visited Capitol Hill to spread awareness about the issue and urge lawmakers to pass the bill.
"What a day! Such a privilege to get to spread awareness about sexual assault survivors, speak with members of Congress, and help pass #TheDebbieSmithAct at The Capitol. #eliminatethebacklog," Dever captioned several photos of herself with lawmakers.
Dever also made a plea in an Instagram video, calling on Congress to pass the bill and highlighting the devastating consequences of inaction. "If it does not get passed, it would be extremely devastating," she said. "Please do whatever you can to help."
The Debbie Smith Act was first passed in 2004, and in the 15 years since, nearly 200,000 DNA matches have been made by a national database. However, the funding is set to expire, and Congress will need to reauthorize it before September 30 in order for the program to continue.
Dever's advocacy comes as the Netflix series 'Unbelievable' has brought attention to the issue of sexual assault and the backlog of unanalyzed rape kits. The show, based on a true story, follows the case of Marie Adler, a young woman who was raped and later vindicated after detectives found her photo in a serial rapist's collection.
