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TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-620, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO OFFENDERS BEING REQUIRED TO SUBMIT SAMPLES FOR INCLUSION IN THE DNA DATABASE, SO AS TO REQUIRE SAMPLES UPON LAWFUL CUSTODIAL ARREST FOR A FELONY OFFENSE, OFFENSE THAT CARRIES A SENTENCE OF FIVE YEARS OR MORE, OR AN ARREST FOR EAVESDROPPING, PEEPING, OR STALKING, AND AT THE TIME OF INTAKE AT A JAIL OR PRISON, TO PROVIDE THAT THESE PROVISIONS APPLY TO JUVENILES, AND TO REQUIRE SAMPLES TO BE PROVIDED BEFORE A PERSON IS RELEASED ON PAROLE, RELEASED FROM CONFINEMENT, OR RELEASED FROM AN AGENCY'S JURISDICTION; TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-630, RELATING TO PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO TAKE DNA SAMPLES AND THEIR IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY, SO AS TO DELETE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE PERSONS AUTHORIZED MUST BE CERTAIN TYPES OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND TO PROVIDE THAT THEY MUST BE APPROPRIATELY TRAINED; TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-650, RELATING TO THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF DNA, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR COORDINATION BETWEEN SLED AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO PREVENT COLLECTION AND PROCESSING OF DUPLICATE DNA SAMPLES; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-3-660 AND 23-3-670, RELATING TO EXPUNGEMENTS AND FEES FOR DNA SAMPLES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR EXPUNGEMENT AT NO COST TO THE ACCUSED WHEN CHARGES ARE DISMISSED, NOLLE PROSSED, OR REDUCED BELOW THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE TAKING OF THE DNA SAMPLE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE WILL PAY FOR THE COSTS OF COLLECTING AND PROCESSING A DNA SAMPLE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT FEES COLLECTED FROM CONVICTED PERSONS SHALL BE REMITTED TO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE STATE AND CREDITED TO THE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-120, RELATING TO THE TAKING OF FINGERPRINTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE PLACE AND TIMING FOR THE FINGERPRINTING OF A PERSON PLACED UNDER CUSTODIAL ARREST.
Whereas, DNA evidence has been called the "fingerprint of the 21st century"; and
Whereas, all fifty states and the federal government now collect DNA samples from convicted offenders; and
Whereas, the federal government now collects DNA samples from persons arrested for violating a federal offense; and
Whereas, the more samples a DNA database contains, the more crimes are solved; and
Whereas, a study from the Chicago Mayor's Office demonstrated that if eight offenders had submitted DNA samples when first arrested for a felony offense, sixty violent crimes, including thirty rapes and twenty-two murders, could have been prevented; and
Whereas, a study from Virginia, which began collecting DNA samples from arrestees in 2003, shows that more than 222 crimes have been solved using the DNA samples from arrestees; and
Whereas, there has been no report of a state or federal agency using the DNA information obtained from arrestees for any other purposes other than those allowed by law. Now, therefore,
The South Carolina Senate Criminal Justice System Task Force finds that the South Carolina laws on DNA sampling and collection must be changed to accommodate new technologies and strategies that convict the guilty and exonerate the innocent.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. This act may be cited as "The South Carolina Protection from Violence Against Women and Children Act."
SECTION 2. Section 23-3-620 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 23-3-620. (A) Following sentencing and at the time of intake at a jail or prison a lawful custodial arrest or a direct indictment for:
(1) a felony offense or an offense that is punishable by a sentence of five years or more; or
(2) eavesdropping, peeping, or stalking,
any of which are committed in this State, a person arrested or ordered by a court must provide a saliva or tissue sample from which DNA may be obtained for inclusion in the State DNA Database must be provided by:.
(1) any person convicted or adjudicated delinquent and incarcerated in a state correctional facility on or after July 1, 2004, for:
(a) eavesdropping or peeping (Section 16-17-470); or
(b) any offense classified as a felony in Section 16-1-90 or any other offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years or more; and
(2) any criminal offender convicted or adjudicated delinquent on or after July 1, 2004, who is ordered by the court to provide a sample.
(B) A convicted offender who is required to provide a DNA sample under subsections (A)(1) or (A)(2) but who is not sentenced to a term of confinement must provide a sample as a condition of his sentence. This sample must be taken at a prison, jail, or other location as specified by the sentencing court detention facility at the time the person is booked and processed into the jail or detention facility following the custodial arrest, or other location when the taking of fingerprints is required prior to a conviction. The sample must be submitted to SLED as directed by SLED. If appropriately trained personnel are not available to take a sample from which DNA may be obtained, the failure of the arrested person to provide a DNA sample shall not be the sole basis for refusal to release the person from custody. An arrested person who is released from custody before providing a DNA sample must provide a DNA sample at a location specified by the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the offense on or before the first court appearance.
(C)(B) At such time as possible and before parole or release Unless a sample has already been provided pursuant to the provisions of subsection (A), before a person may be paroled or released from confinement, the person must provide a suitable sample from which DNA may be obtained for inclusion in the State DNA Database must be provided by:
(1) a person who was convicted or adjudicated delinquent before July 1, 2004, and who was sentenced to and is serving a term of confinement on or after July 1, 2004, for:
(a) eavesdropping or peeping (Section 16-17-470); or
(b) any offense classified as a felony in Section 16-1-90 or any other offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years or more; and
(2) any criminal offender ordered by the court who was convicted or adjudicated delinquent before July 1, 2004, and who was sentenced to and is serving a term of confinement on or after July 1, 2004.
(D)(C) An agency having custody of an offender who is required to provide a DNA sample under pursuant to subsection (C)(1) or (C)(2) (B) must notify SLED at least three days, excluding weekends and holidays, before the individual person is paroled or released from confinement.
(E)(D) At such time as possible and Unless a sample has already been provided pursuant to the provisions of subsection (A), before release a person is released from confinement or release released from the agency's jurisdiction, a suitable sample from which DNA may be obtained for inclusion in the State DNA Database must be provided as a condition of probation or parole by:
(1) a person convicted or adjudicated delinquent before July 1, 2004, who is serving a probated sentence or is paroled on or after July 1, 2004, for:
(a) eavesdropping or peeping (Section 16-17-470); or
(b) any offense classified as a felony in Section 16-1-90 or any other offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years or more; and
(2) any criminal offender ordered by the court who was convicted or adjudicated delinquent before July 1, 2004, and who is serving a probated sentence or is paroled on or after July 1, 2004.
(F) A person who provides a sample pursuant to this article also must provide any other information as may be required by SLED.
(G)(E) A person required to provide a sample pursuant to this section may be required to provide another sample if the original sample is lost, damaged, contaminated, or unusable for examination.
(H)(F) The provisions of this section apply to juveniles notwithstanding the provisions of Section 20-7-8510."
SECTION 3. Section 23-3-630 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 23-3-630. (A) Only a correctional health nurse technician, physician, registered professional nurse, licensed practical nurse, laboratory technician, or other an appropriately trained health care worker person may take a sample from which DNA may be obtained.
(B) A person taking a sample pursuant to this article is immune from liability if the sample was taken according to recognized medical procedures. However, no person is relieved from liability for negligence in the taking of any blood a sample."
SECTION 4. Section 23-3-650 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 23-3-650. (A) The DNA sample and the results of a DNA profile of an individual provided under this article are confidential and must be securely stored, except that SLED must make available the results to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and to approved crime laboratories which serve these agencies and to the solicitor or the solicitor's designee upon a written or electronic request and in furtherance of an official investigation of a criminal offense. These results or the DNA sample of an individual also must be made available as required by a court order following a hearing directing SLED to release the record or sample.
(B) To prevent duplications of DNA samples, SLED must coordinate with any law enforcement agency obtaining a DNA sample to determine whether a DNA sample from the person under lawful custodial arrest has been previously obtained and is in the DNA database.
(B)(C) A person who wilfully discloses in any manner individually identifiable DNA information contained in the State DNA Database to a person or agency not entitled to receive this information is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
(C)(D) A person who, without authorization, wilfully obtains individually identifiable DNA information from the State DNA Database is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
SECTION 5. Section 23-3-660 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 23-3-660. (A) A person whose DNA record has been included in the State DNA Database may request expungement on the grounds that has the right to have his record expunged upon written request if:
(1) the charges pending against the person who has been arrested or ordered to submit a sample:
(a) have been nolle prossed;
(b) have been dismissed; or
(c) have been reduced below the requirement for inclusion in the State DNA Database; or
(2) the person has been adjudicated not guilty, or the person's conviction or adjudication has been reversed, set aside, or vacated.
(B) SLED, at no cost to the person, shall must purge DNA and all other identifiable record information from the State Database and shall must destroy the person's sample if SLED receives the person's written request for expungement and either:
(1) a document certified:
(a) by a circuit court judge;
(b) by a prosecuting agency; or
(c) by a clerk of court,
produced to the requestor at no charge within fourteen days after one of the events in subsection (A) has occurred, and no new trial has been ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction; or
(2) a certified copy of the court order adjudicating the person not guilty, or reversing, setting aside, or vacating the conviction or adjudication and.
(C) The person seeking expungement must provide proof that the identity of the individual making the request is the person whose record is to be expunged.
(D) If the person has more than one entry in the State DNA Database, only the entry covered by the expungement request may be expunged The person's entry and sample in the State DNA Database shall not be removed if the person has another qualifying offense."
SECTION 6. Section 23-3-670 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 23-3-670. (A) A person who is required to provide a sample pursuant to this article must pay a two hundred and fifty dollar processing fee which may not be waived by the court The cost of collection supplies processing a sample pursuant to this article must be paid by the general fund of the State. A fee of two hundred fifty dollars must be assessed at the time of the sentencing against persons convicted of, pleading guilty or nolo contendere to, or forfeiting bond for the crime for which they were arrested.
(1) If the person is incarcerated, the fee must be paid before the person is paroled or released from confinement and may be garnished from wages the person earns while incarcerated.
(2) If the person is not sentenced to a term of confinement, payment of the fee must be a condition of the person's sentence and may be paid in installments if so ordered by the court.
(B) The processing fee assessed pursuant to this section must be remitted to the general fund of the State and credited to the State Law Enforcement Division to offset the expenses SLED incurs in carrying out the provisions of this article."
SECTION 7. Section 23-3-120(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) A person subjected to a lawful custodial arrest for a state offense must be fingerprinted at the time the person is booked and processed into a jail or detention facility or other location when the taking of fingerprints is required. Fingerprints taken by a law enforcement agency or detention facility pursuant to this section must be submitted to the State Law Enforcement Division's Central Record Repository within three days, excluding weekends and holidays, for the purposes of identifying record subjects and establishing criminal history record information."
SECTION 8. The repeal or amendment by the provisions of this SECTION or any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.
SECTION 9. If any section, subsection, item, subitem, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, item, subitem, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, items, subitems, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
SECTION 10. The provisions of this act take effect on January 1, 2009; however, the implementation of the procedures provided for in this act is contingent upon the State Law Enforcement Division's receipt of funds necessary to implement these provisions. Until the provisions of this act are fully funded and executed, implementation of the provisions of this act shall not prohibit the collection and testing of DNA samples by the methods allowed prior to the implementation of this act from persons convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or on probation or parole for those crimes listed in Section 23-3-620.
This web page was last updated on Monday, June 22, 2009 at 3:10 P.M.