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Missouri Lawmakers Pass Bill Requiring Hospitals to Offer Rape Kits

Missouri's Capitol Building in 2017.
Meiying Wu / KBIA

All Missouri hospitals would be required to offer rape kits under a bill heading to the governor's desk. 

Currently, few hospitals have certified staff who can perform rape kits to gather evidence of sexual assault. But a bill that would mandate access to rape kits at all licensed hospitals received final approval in the state House on Tuesday.

Now it's up to Republican Gov. Mike Parson to sign it into law.

The measure would give hospitals access to virtual and in-person training on how to perform rape kits.

By 2023, all hospitals would be required to provide rape kits.