AceShowbiz - Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation has reached a historic achievement after 16 years of dedicated advocacy.

On Friday, it was confirmed that the End the Backlog campaign has successfully influenced rape kit reform legislation across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Maine became the final state to pass at least one of the campaign’s six essential reform pillars, marking a critical nationwide victory in eliminating the backlog of untested rape kits and preventing future accumulation.

The campaign outlines six key pillars for reform: mandatory submission and testing of all backlogged kits, testing of all new kits, establishment of statewide rape kit tracking systems, comprehensive statewide inventories, survivor access to the status of their kits, and dedicated funding to support the submission, testing, and tracking processes.

Mariska Hargitay, best known for her role as Captain Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, launched the Joyful Heart Foundation in 2004 after her work on the NBC series increased her awareness of the lasting trauma survivors endure. The foundation is committed to transforming society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, while supporting survivors’ healing and aiming to end violence.

At the core of the foundation’s mission is the End the Backlog campaign, which targets the elimination of hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits stored across the United States. By addressing this issue, survivors can better pursue justice and find closure.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Hargitay said, "Today marks a watershed moment not only for the State of Maine, but for every survivor who has asked if their rape kit was forgotten, if their truth was abandoned on a shelf, if they have hope of finding justice." She emphasized that this accomplishment was the result of survivors speaking out, advocates maintaining urgency, and persistent legislative champions such as Rep. Geiger, Sen. Bennett, and Sen. Duson.

Hargitay added, "This moment is a promise that the system can and will be transformed into a source of light, not darkness. To the survivors who have carried this cause in their hearts: this milestone belongs to you."

While celebrating this landmark achievement, Hargitay acknowledged that the work is not finished but encouraged taking pride in the progress made through collective effort.

The End the Backlog campaign’s success reflects years of advocacy and legislative work aimed at ensuring survivors receive accountability, transparency, and dignity in handling their rape kits. The reforms are expected to improve the way sexual assault evidence is processed, ultimately supporting survivors in seeking justice and healing.

This breakthrough signals a renewed commitment nationwide to address sexual assault evidence with the seriousness it demands and to prevent the backlog from recurring in the future.