Sensenbrenner: House Approves Historic DNA Legislation; Legislation Will Help Solve Crimes

11/5/2003

From: Jeff Lungren/Terry Shawn, 202-225-2492, both of the Committee on the Judiciary; web: http://www.house.gov/judiciary

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 -- The House today by a 357-to-67 margin passed legislation that will help authorities solve crimes through better use of DNA technology. The legislation, introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.), includes $755 million to enact President Bush's initiative to reduce the backlog of unanalyzed DNA evidence. Experts believe hundreds of thousands of rape kits and other DNA evidence remains unanalyzed in crime labs across the country. H.R. 3214, the "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003", now moves to the Senate, where Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, Judiciary Ranking Member Patrick Leahy and others have introduced Senate companion legislation.

Chairman Sensenbrenner said, "DNA technology has incredible potential, but our current efforts to use this tool are hampered by a variety of problems. This legislation will authorize a significant increase in resources to better use DNA in solving crimes, taking dangerous people off the streets, and sparing many innocent Americans from further crimes."

H.R. 3214 incorporates the Innocence Protection Act, including authorizing $500 million over five years to improve the legal representation in death penalty cases. H.R. 3214 also includes greater access to post-conviction DNA testing as well as over $200 million over the next five years in additional grant money to train law enforcement, correctional, court, and medical personnel on the use of DNA evidence. This legislation funds research to improve forensic technology and authorizes $10 million per year in grants to states, local governments, and tribal governments to eliminate forensic backlogs.

The House version passed today includes two substantive changes from the version reported out by the Judiciary Committee on October 8, 2003 by a 28 to 1 vote. First, a state that has already established an effective system for appointing and compensating attorneys in capital cases does not have to change its system in order to be eligible for the Title III grant program to states for this purpose. A second change involves improving the DNA databases so as to better assist law enforcement in catching rapists and other violent criminals.

More information about H.R. 3214 is available at http://www.house.gov/judiciary/press and view documents dated under October 1, 2003.