Amends, repeals, and adds to existing law to revise provisions and requirements regarding collection of DNA samples and thumbprint impressions.
House Bill 157 revises Idaho’s DNA collection laws by expanding and clarifying when DNA samples and thumbprint impressions must be taken from people convicted of certain offenses. The bill adds a new section requiring courts, at sentencing, to order collection of a DNA sample and thumbprint impression from anyone convicted of or pleading guilty to a “serious crime,” a term that is broadened to include all felonies, attempted felonies, certain sex-offender-registration offenses, and several specified misdemeanors such as domestic violence, sexual battery, indecent exposure, commercial sexual activity solicitation, and second-degree stalking.
The bill also rewrites the existing DNA collection chapter to make the timing and responsibility for collection more explicit. It assigns duties to courts, county jails, the Department of Correction, the Department of Juvenile Corrections, parole authorities, and Idaho State Police forensic services, and it sets deadlines for collection at sentencing, during intake, while incarcerated, on parole, and for offenders transferred to Idaho under interstate agreements. It preserves the rule that a sample need not be collected if an existing Idaho DNA sample can be verified, and it keeps restitution provisions that can require offenders to help pay for DNA analysis costs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, under an emergency clause.
The bill amends Chapter 25 and Chapter 55 of Title 19, Idaho Code, to expand the scope of mandatory DNA and thumbprint collection and to replace the existing sample-collection procedure section with a more detailed framework. It broadens the offenses covered by the DNA collection regime from primarily felonies and sex-offender-registration offenses to the new category of “serious crimes,” which includes additional misdemeanors and attempts. It also imposes new or clarified duties on courts and correctional agencies to ensure collection occurs at sentencing or shortly thereafter, and it applies to some people convicted before the effective date if they remain incarcerated, on supervision, or otherwise subject to the chapter’s requirements. The Idaho State Police and correctional facilities remain central to implementation, and the bill preserves restitution authority for DNA analysis costs.
The available vote history suggests the bill was closely divided in the House, with a 34-34 tie on third reading, indicating significant but not overwhelming support and likely substantial concern among members. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed floor or committee arguments, but the bill’s structure suggests it was framed as a public-safety and law-enforcement measure aimed at improving identification and prosecution. The emergency clause and July 1, 2025 effective date indicate an intent to implement the changes promptly.
The main points of contention are likely the expanded reach of mandatory DNA collection and the inclusion of additional misdemeanors within the definition of “serious crimes.” Critics may view the bill as broadening state collection authority and imposing new obligations on courts, jails, and offenders, including people already under supervision or incarcerated for prior convictions. Supporters are likely to emphasize law-enforcement benefits, improved identification of suspects, and consistency in collection procedures. The tie vote suggests disagreement over the balance between public safety, privacy, administrative burden, and the scope of offenses triggering collection.