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House approves bill to clarify DNA testing rules for certain arrests and absconders
Summary
The House passed a bill that clarifies when DNA samples may be tested when a suspect absconds and sets notification and specimen-destruction rules; supporters said the change helps both convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent.
The House passed third-substitute SB 140, which updates statutes governing collection, testing and retention of DNA specimens in certain serious criminal matters.
Representative Lisonbee, the House sponsor, described the measure as a cleanup to address circumstances in which an individual arrested for a serious offense absconds and a previously collected DNA sample could not be tested because of technicalities in earlier language. Under the changes, if an arrest warrant remains outstanding for 60 days, DNA already lawfully collected may be tested. The bill also clarifies when a prosecutor must notify an accused individual about the collection and retention of DNA and sets conditions under which a specimen may be destroyed if charges are dropped or an individual is found innocent.
Supporters said the changes balance victims’ interests and defendants’ rights, and that the statutory clarifications improve the justice system’s ability to convict guilty parties and exonerate the innocent. Representative Tesher spoke in support, noting code cleanups around charge levels and judicial processes. Representative Lisonbee cited an exoneree he met as an example of DNA’s role in both convicting the guilty and freeing the innocent.
The House recorded the final vote on SB 140 as 72 yes, 0 no; the bill will be sent to the Senate for signature.
