WEST virginia legislature

2022 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 4666

By Delegates Rohrbach, Lovejoy, Worrell, Mandt, Hornbuckle, Linville, Griffith, and Booth

[Introduced February 14, 2022; Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary ]

A BILL to amend and reenact §15-2B-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to expanding the definition of “criminal justice agency” to include the Forensic Analysis Laboratory at Marshall University for access and participation in the West Virginia DNA database for certain specified purposes.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

article 2b. dna data.

§15-2B-3. Definitions.

As used in this article:

(1) “CODIS” means the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Combined DNA Index System that allows the storage and exchange of DNA records submitted by federal, state and local forensic DNA laboratories. The term “CODIS” includes the National DNA Index System administered and operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(2) “Conviction” includes convictions by a jury or court, guilty plea, or plea of nolo contendere.

(3) “Criminal justice agency” means an agency or institution of a federal, state or local government, other than the office of public defender, which performs as part of its principal function, relating to the apprehension, investigation, prosecution, adjudication, incarceration, supervision or rehabilitation of criminal offenders.  The West Virginia State Police establishes the Forensic Analysis Laboratory of the Marshall University Forensic Science Center as a criminal justice agency for the purpose of participation in the WV DNA Database with access only to the Missing Persons, Relatives of Missing Persons, and Unidentified Human Remains databases as part of the work performed for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

(4) “Division” means the West Virginia State Police.”

(5) “DNA” means deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is located in the nucleus of cells and provides an individual's personal genetic blueprint. DNA encodes genetic information that is the basis of human heredity and forensic identification.

(6) “DNA record” means DNA identification information stored in any state DNA database pursuant to this article. The DNA record is the result obtained from DNA typing tests. The DNA record is comprised of the characteristics of a DNA sample which are of value in establishing the identity of individuals. The results of all DNA identification tests on an individual's DNA sample are also included as a “DNA record”.

(7) “DNA sample” means a tissue, fluid or other bodily sample, suitable for testing, provided pursuant to this article or submitted to the division laboratory for analysis pursuant to a criminal investigation.

(8) “FBI” means the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(9) “Interim plan” means the plan used currently by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Partial Match Protocol and to be adopted under the management rules of this article.

(10) “Management rules” means the rules promulgated by the West Virginia State Police that define all policy and procedures in the administration of this article.

(11) “Partial match” means that two DNA profiles, while not an exact match, share a sufficient number of characteristics to indicate the possibility of a biological relationship.

(12) “Qualifying offense” means any felony offense as described in section six [§15-2B-6] of this article or any offense requiring a person to register as a sex offender under this code or the federal law. For the purpose of this article, a person found not guilty of a qualifying offense by reason of insanity or mental disease or defect shall be required to provide a DNA sample in accordance with this article.

(13) “Registering Agency” means the West Virginia State Police.

(14) “State DNA database” means all DNA identification records included in the system administered by the West Virginia State Police.

(15) “State DNA databank” means the repository of DNA samples collected under the provisions of this article.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit the Marshall University Forensic Laboratory to be classified as a criminal justice agency in order to get access to the WV DNA databases related to Missing Persons, Relatives of Missing Persons, and Unidentified Human Remains databases.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.