TN lawmaker files bill to require DNA collection for all felony offense arrests
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A bill from an East Tennessee Republican would require law enforcement to collect a DNA sample for all those arrested for felony offenses in the state.
State Rep. John Crawford (R-Bristol-Kingsport) filed House Bill 473, which would establish procedures for DNA collection and the management of biological samples by law enforcement.
If passed, anyone arrested for a felony offense in Tennessee would have a biological specimen collected before being released from custody. The arresting agency would use a buccal swab—a swab from the inside of the cheek—to collect the DNA. Then, that DNA would be sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for analysis. The DNA information would be 'securely stored,' according to a release from the representative's office, and 'could aid in criminal investigations.'
'Our criminal justice system depends on having a strong forensic infrastructure so that we can increase efficiency and expedite justice for victims,' Crawford said of the bill. 'This bill will help us solve cold cases but also prevent extremely dangerous individuals from committing more crimes.'
According to Crawford, the inspiration for the bill comes from a Kingsport mother who was sexually assaulted and whose 17-year-old son, James Huston, was stabbed to death in 1997. At the time of Huston's death and his mother's assault, DNA was collected when the scene was processed, but analysis technology wasn't readily available.
Nearly 30 years later, the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office was able to reexamine the case in such a way that resulted in the indictment of George Scott Robinson on three counts of first-degree murder in 2024 thanks to genetic DNA testing.
'For 27 years, a man got away with murder and rape,' Crawford said. 'This legislation provides a critical tool that equips Tennessee's criminal justice system with the ability to get violent people off our streets.'
The bill stipulates the TBI will establish formal procedures for the DNA collection, which law enforcement agencies must follow. If a defendant is granted bond or released on their own recognizance, providing a DNA sample will be a condition of release.
TN Supreme Court: Personalized license plates are 'government speech'
Further, the bill requires the TBI to destroy the DNA samples and related records if charges are dismissed or a defendant is acquitted, provided there are no other charges or warrants pending.
According to Crawford's office, all 50 states collect DNA samples from certain people convicted of crimes; at least 27 states collect DNA samples when an individual is arrested for a felony or a subset of felony crimes.
If passed, Crawford's bill is estimated to cost the state more than $3 million annually, with $3.3 million required in the first fiscal year. The fiscal note on the bill from the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee states the bill would require nine additional positions be staffed in order to comply with the proposed law.
DNA sample testing done by the TBI takes place at the TBI Jackson Lab, according to the fiscal note. The cost of each collection kit is $9.14. The cost of running the analysis on the collection kit is $25.41/sample. Estimates from the Fiscal Review Committee show the number of samples collected would increase by an average of 60,000 annually. Additionally, RapidDNA verification is estimated to cost $22,500 per 15,000 samples, per the fiscal note.
That increase in costs is estimated to be $2,163,000, according to the Fiscal Review Committee.
⏩
Additionally, the committee said the bill would lead to an increase in the incarcerated population in the state, which would also increase state costs.
'Increasing DNA sample testing will result in an increase in the total number of individuals incarcerated in state and local facilities, as well as the length of time an individual is housed within a state or local facility,' the note reads. 'The extent and timing of any increases in state or local expenditures cannot reasonably be determined with any certainty, but could be significant.'
Crawford's bill is set for discussion in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 12. The Senate companion legislation was recommended to the Senate Judiciary Committee in late February, though it does not yet have a date set.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pritzker to defend Illinois' sanctuary policies before congressional committee Thursday
It's the eve of one of the biggest moments of JB Pritzker's political career. In made-for-TV theater, the Illinois governor is in Washington to face the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. The hearing topic: sanctuary polices for undocumented immigrants. For Pritzker, long rumored to have his eye on a future White House run, the stakes are enormous. Pritzker's political future: Where things stand after passage of Illinois budget 'We're gonna see Donald Trump's Congressional Republicans really put on a show. And this is going to be full of political theatrics. They are going to try to put people on the spot, but I think Governor Pritzker is going to have a steady hand, he's going to do what he has always done, which is put the people of Illinois first,' said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. Governors of New York and Minnesota will also join Pritzker on the hot seat. Republicans are going after Sanctuary Laws, saying they protect criminals — and they're likely to focus on the Trust Act. This Illinois law enables people to report crime and call emergency services regardless of their immigration status. To prep, Pritzker retained a Washington, D.C. law firm. A source says the billionaire paid for their services out of his own pocket. He's also getting an assist from a former White House counsel to President Joe Biden. More than 15 arrested in Tuesday ICE protests; ICE tactical team on 'stand by' I think he'll be well prepared. He knows how aggressive the Republicans will be based on what they did with Mayor Johnson, but as you probably noticed, they kind of get ridiculous at some point,' said Congressman Raja Krishanmoorthi. In March, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was hauled before Congress when Republicans took aim at Sanctuary City mayors. The attacks were relentless. 'This is why you have 6 percent approval ratings because you suck at answering questions,' said Nancy Mace. 'When there's trust between these city residents and police, undocumented immigrants come forward to report crimes to local law enforcement and provide information that helps police solve those crimes,' Johnson responded. Back from Capitol Hill, mayor talks Congressional questioning, CTU contract, Dept. of Ed. Republican Congressman Darin LaHood, rumored to be considering a run for U.S. Senate or Illinois governor, is expected to join Thursday's hearing to question Pritzker. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Luna: China is dangerous, behind funding of protests
(NewsNation) — Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican, announced the House Oversight committee will be calling China-based billionaire Neville Singham to testify regarding the funding of a group that organized protests in Los Angeles. 'If he refuses to appear, he will be subpoenaed, and if he ignores that, he will be referred to the DOJ for prosecution,' Luna said in a post on social platform X. She alleged that the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a Communist political party to which Singham has previously donated, is also receiving funding from the Chinese Communist Party. The committee will be looking into links between Singham and the CCP, as well. Luna joined NewsNation's 'CUOMO' on Wednesday to discuss the investigation. She said she believes Singham and the CCP are purposely trying to create division within the United States. Hogg forgoes reelection for DNC vice chair 'I do believe the Chinese government knows what they're doing; they're smart and they're dangerous,' Luna said. She added that she believes they are creating a ruse with the protests and making Hispanic-Americans think the unrest going on is all about the recent ICE raids. Luna said during the Biden administration, then-Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Lindsey Graham asked then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Singham over Foreign Agents Registration Act violations and ties to China, but the administration did not follow up. 'It's not just me, but the entire Oversight committee in Congress,' Luna said. 'This is a different administration. We are not playing games. What you are seeing in real time is things are heating up. China is not our friend.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US governors are divided along party lines about military troops deployed to protests
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling President Donald Trump's military intervention at protests over federal immigration policy in Los Angeles an assault on democracy and has sued to try to stop it. Meanwhile, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is putting the National Guard on standby in areas in his state where demonstrations are planned. The divergent approaches illustrate the ways the two parties are trying to navigate national politics and the role of executive power in enforcing immigration policies. In his live TV address this week, Newsom said that Trump's move escalated the situation — and for political gain. All 22 other Democratic governors signed a statement sent by the Democratic Governors Association on Sunday backing Newsom, calling the Guard deployment and threats to send in Marines 'an alarming abuse of power' that "undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.' The protests in Los Angeles have mostly been contained to five blocks in a small section of downtown; nearly 200 people were detained on Tuesday and at least seven police officers have been injured. In Republican-controlled states, governors have not said when or how they're planning to deploy military troops for protests. Since Trump's return to office, Democratic governors have been calculating about when to criticize him, when to emphasize common ground and when to bite their tongues. The governors' responses are guided partly by a series of political considerations, said Kristoffer Shields, director of the Eagleton Center on the American Governor at Rutgers University: How would criticizing Trump play with Democrats, Republicans and independent voters in their states? And for those with presidential ambitions, how does that message resonate nationally? Democratic governors are weighing a number of considerations. 'There probably is some concern about retributions — what the reaction of the administration could be for a governor who takes a strong stance," Shields said. And in this case, polling indicates about half of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, though that polling was conducted before the recent military deployment. On other issues, Democratic governors have taken a variety of approaches with Trump. At a White House meeting in February, Maine Democratic Gov. Janet Mills told Trump, ' we'll see you in court ' over his push to cut off funding to the state because it allowed transgender athletes in girls' school sports. Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer, a possible 2028 presidential candidate, publicly sparred with Trump during his first term but this time around, has met with him privately to find common ground. Initially, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green referred to Trump as a 'straight-up dictator," but the next month he told a local outlet that he was treading carefully, saying: 'I'm not going to criticize him directly much at all." Democratic governors speaking out — but some cautiously Apart from their joint statement, some of the highest-profile Democratic governors have not talked publicly about the situation in California. When asked, on Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's office pointed to a Sunday social media post about the joint statement. Whitmer didn't respond. The office of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is set to testify before Congress on Thursday about his state laws protecting people who are in the country without legal status, reiterated in a statement that he stands with Newsom. The office said 'local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.' Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, in an interview Wednesday in The Washington Post, said Trump should not send troops to a weekend protest scheduled in Philadelphia. 'He's injected chaos into the world order, he's injected it into our economy, he is trying to inject chaos into our streets by doing what he did with the Guard in California," Shapiro said. As state attorney general during Trump's first term, Shapiro routinely boasted that he sued Trump over 40 times and won each time. As governor he has often treaded more carefully, by bashing Trump's tariffs, but not necessarily targeting Trump himself. GOP governors weighing in Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has often clashed with Newsom, a fellow term-limited governor with national ambitions. Newsom's office said DeSantis offered to send Florida State Guard troops to California. 'Given the guard were not needed in the first place, we declined Governor DeSantis attempt to inflame an already chaotic situation made worse by his Party's leader,' Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo said in an email to The Associated Press. Speaking on Fox News on Tuesday, DeSantis said the gesture was a typical offer of mutual aid during a crisis — and was dismissive of the reasons it was turned down. 'The way to put the fire out is to make sure you have law and order,' he said. States are preparing for more protests this weekend Protests against immigration enforcement raids have sprung up in other cities — and a series of 'No Kings' demonstrations are planned for the weekend — with governors preparing to respond. In Connecticut, Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said he has spoken with his public safety commissioner to make sure state and local police work together. 'I don't want to give the president any pretext to think he can come into Connecticut and militarize the situation. That just makes the situation worse,' said Lamont, who called Trump "a little eager to send federal troops and militarize the situation in Los Angeles.' It is unclear how many Texas National Guard members will be deployed or how many cities asked for assistance. In Austin, where police used chemical irritants to disperse several hundred protesters on Monday, the mayor's office said the National Guard was not requested. San Antonio officials also said they didn't request the Guard. Florida's DeSantis said law enforcement in his state is preparing 'The minute you cross into attacking law enforcement, any type of rioting, any type of vandalism, looting, just be prepared to have the law come down on you,' DeSantis said Tuesday. 'And we will make an example of you, you can guarantee it.' ___ Associated Press reporters Nadia Lathan and Jim Vertuno in Austin, Texas; Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Kate Payne in Tallahassee, Florida; and Sophia Tareen in Chicago; contributed.
