HARRISBURG – The PA Senate Law and Justice Committee has approved legislation to help protect the public from serial offenders and to assist law enforcement in closing cold cases. Senate Bill 912 would require the collection of DNA from individuals upon arrest for serious violent or sexual crimes, rather than waiting until after conviction. Thirty-one other states and the federal government already collect DNA at the time of arrest, With recent technological advancements in non-invasive DNA collection, sample-taking would be no different than already-established processes for collecting an arrestee’s fingerprints. The bill also closes a legal loophole, clarifying that offenders of criminal homicide must have DNA collected like individuals convicted of felonies and other serious sexual offenses. The bill now heads to the full PA Senate for consideration.
