DENVER—A House committee approved a measure Thursday that would require anyone arrested for a felony to submit a DNA sample.
Senate Bill 241 passed by a vote of 8-3 in the House Judiciary Committee and now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.
Currently, only people who are convicted of crimes must submit DNA.
It’s named Katie’s Law after 22-year-old Katie Sepich, who was raped and murdered in New Mexico in 2003. Her killer was captured using DNA, and 15 states have passed such laws since her death.
Backers say testing people at the time of arrest will help catch criminals and save lives by running the DNA against evidence from other cases.
Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, said the database would provide a powerful new tool that would allow authorities to solve crimes that would otherwise go unsolved. He called it the most important new investigative tool in decades.
“This is a big deal,” King told the committee.
Opponents say the measure blurs the line between accusation and conviction and that DNA information from innocent people shouldn’t be put in a criminal database.
“What we’re presuming today is a presumption of guilt until proven innocent,” said Rep. Sal Pace, D-Pueblo.
Lawmakers said only 13 of the millions of DNA markers available will be recorded in the database for each person. People who aren’t charged can ask for their record to be removed.
Under the bill, those who are found innocent also can have their records removed.
The testing would cost the state about $1.9 million a year.
