SPONSOR: Hicks
This bill amends the definition of "component" as it relates to evidence collected during the use of an evidentiary collection kit in a forensic examination on a person who may have been a victim of sexual assault. The definition specifies that evidence includes individual specimen containers. Currently, "component" includes evidence that is not stored or maintained within the evidentiary collection kit. This bill provides that a component is evidence that may be stored or maintained within an evidentiary collection kit.
The bill also modifies provisions related to the electronic tracking system used to track the status of evidentiary collection kits. The system tracks the chain of custody of the kit, and it adds possession by a duly authorized agent of a law enforcement agency as well as possession by a crime lab to the chain of custody. The bill clarifies that the unique alphanumeric number assigned to track a specific kit must also be nonrepeating and must also contain at least machine- and human-readable markings. The bill clarifies that the linking of identifiers of specific kits will be used to establish a familial, hierarchical relationship between the identifiers.
Statutes affected: