(CNN) Sen. Kamala Harris on Thursday announced her proposal to invest $1 billion to eliminate the rape kit backlog nationwide.

The first of its kind from a 2020 Democratic candidate , the California Democrat's plan would invest the money into states, allowing them to close their rape kit backlogs and prevent further buildups, within her first term as president if elected.

According to End the Backlog, a national non-profit organization, it costs on average $1,000 to $1,500 to test one kit. To receive the funding, states would have to implement various reforms like an annual count and report the number of untested kits, test newly-collected rape kits within a shortened time frame and track the status of kits.

The campaign linked this rollout to the news of Jeffery Epstein, the billionaire indicted this week on charges of sex trafficking and sexually assaulting teenage girls. On Tuesday, Harris called for US Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta, who formerly served as Miami US Attorney and cut the plea deal for Epstein, to resign.

"We need leaders committed to fighting for justice for survivors of abuse, not protecting predators," she tweeted.

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