Dna Collection Measure Gets Ok

A House judiciary committee Wednesday passed a bill giving Idaho law enforcement officials more ways to take DNA samples from convicted violent offenders.

Last year lawmakers passed a law requiring convicted violent criminals to supply a DNA sample for law officials to enter into a database - similar to how fingerprints are filed.

When the measure passed, drawing blood was the only way to collect DNA samples. New technology allows DNA collection with a simple mouth swab, but the law only recognizes the old technique that requires a syringe.

State Law Enforcement Director Bob Sobba said House Bill 428 would allow his agency to use the latest methods of DNA collection.

The bill moves to the House for approval.

However, the method of collecting DNA isn’t the only flaw in the process, Sobba told the committee.

The agency hasn’t started to collect DNA samples from violent offenders because new Federal Bureau of Investigation standards are hindering the process by requiring the lab technician to have a molecular biology master’s degree and three years’ experience.

A frustrated Sobba told committee members that Idaho universities don’t offer master’s degrees in molecular biology so nobody has three years’ experience. The other problem is the agency can’t afford to pay someone with those qualifications or attract out-of-state candidates.

As a result, the DNA lab is nonexistent.

“If someone knows a microbiologist with a master’s degree,” Sobba offered to the amused committee. “We’ll even drive them to work at this point.”

, DataTimes