HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

171

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the attorney general to convene a task force to study dna collection of arrestees in other jurisdictions.

 

 

 


     Whereas, experience from other states have demonstrated that DNA collection of felony arrestees have prevented other crimes;

 

     WHEREAS, many times, a person who commits one crime goes on to commit other crimes, often more heinous; and

 

     WHEREAS, A case study on preventable crimes by the City of Chicago, presented to the state legislature in 2005 pinpointed crimes which may have been prevented had DNA been collected upon arrest; and

 

     WHEREAS, the study found that 8 criminals accumulated 21 felony arrests before being convicted of violent crimes and 22 murders and 30 rapes could have been prevented;

 

     WHEREAS, other jurisdictions have agreed that collecting DNA upon felony arrests is positive as 19 other states have passed laws collecting DNA for felony arrests; and

 

     WHEREAS, the states having passed DNA collection for felony arrests include Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that the Attorney General’s Office is requested to convene a task force to study DNA collection of arrestees in other jurisdictions, any problems they may have encountered such as expungement issues, maintenance of samples, who collects, when is sample collected, cost concerns, and implementation issues such as obtaining kits and staffing needs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall make recommendations including appropriate legislation and report to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Attorney General, the Police CHIEFS OF EACH COUNTY, AND the Prosecuting Attorneys of each county.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Requesting the Attorney General to convene a task force to study DNA collection of arrestees in other jurisdictions.