WASHINGTON, D.C. - A bipartisan proposal to help fight the backlog of rape kits in the U.S. has passed another hurdle.

According to Minnesota Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reporting Act, or SAFER Act, has passed the Senate.

The proposal is co-authored by Klobuchar, and has close to a dozen co-sponsors.

The SAFER Act would reauthorize, strengthen, and extend the Sexual Assault Forensic Registry program.

Meanwhile, as KBJR 6 reported earlier this month, Duluth Police are currently working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to expedite the rape kit testing process through "y screening."

If successful, officials say it could improve the way rape kits are tested across the country.