Van Hollen Applauds Wisconsin State Senate Passage of Bill That Would Facilitate The Collection of DNA From Convicted Offenders

MADISON - Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen issued the following passage of Senate Bill 631 in the State Senate:

I applaud the Wisconsin State Senate on the passage of Senate Bill 631.  I would also like to thank State Senators Lena Taylor and Rob Cowles for their leadership on this legislation through the process. 

 

DNA analysis can lead to the identification and successful prosecution of offenders even in cases that are otherwise without leads.  To do that, biological specimens taken from evidence are compared against known DNA profiles, including those kept in the DNA offender data bank.  This bill strengthens the law with respect to the data bank and creates a process to compel offenders who have failed to fulfill their legal obligations to submit DNA specimens to the data bank.  It increases public safety in Wisconsin.

 

I am hopeful the bill will pass out of the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee and be passed by the Wisconsin State Assembly. 

A copy of the Attorney General's letter to Secretary Raemisch describing the legal obligations of convicted offenders to provide biological specimens under current law, and Attorney General Van Hollen's written testimony on the bill, which contains additional detail about the bill, and Attorney General Van Hollen's written testimony on the bill, which contains additional detail about the bill, can be found here: