SB277 would modify state statute with regards to collecting DNA evidence from those arrested to include anyone booked for a violent felony. It also increases the fee charged for a DNA specimen and changes the management of fees.
Adams said the bill opened late in the session, but has since garnered broad-based support. “The biggest challenge is with privacy issues and we’re working through that,” he said.
Civil rights groups have expressed concern about a person’s genetic code being available in case a state database is breached.
Adams said that only 15 markers out of 3 billion will be tested, so there’s no concern about a person’s full genetic makeup being available. “It’s like taking fingerprints,” he said. He said they’re working to ensure the privacy of the DNA that’s collected.
Under the bill, anyone booked for a violent crime would have a DNA sample taken with a cotton swab to the cheek. It would not be processed unless the person was bound over for trial, waived a preliminary hearing, or a grand jury issued an indictment.
Those convicted of a crime would have to pay a $150 processing fee. Currently, the fee is $100, which would be increased to help pay the fees of those who cannot pay. “The extra $50 helps,” Adams said. He said they figure to have a 60 percent collection rate.
In the mid-1990s, DNA samples were used only to identify sex offenders. The law has since been changed to include some felonies and class A misdemeanors. Adams’ bill would expand it again.
mwilliams@davisclipper.com
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