House Bill 341 amends Tennessee Code Annotated regarding the collection of biological specimens for DNA analysis. The bill stipulates that biological specimens must be gathered within thirty days of sentencing or, if the incarceration term is shorter than thirty days, before the completion of that term. Additionally, it modifies the existing law to require that if a person convicted of a felony or applicable misdemeanor has not provided a biological specimen, the commissioner of correction or the chief administrative officer of a local jail must order the specimen to be provided within the same thirty-day timeframe.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new provisions allowing law enforcement agencies, including the Tennessee Department of Correction, to submit biological specimens from deceased offenders who were previously convicted of qualifying offenses to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, regardless of the conviction date. It also mandates that if an offender dies while incarcerated and their biological specimen has not been submitted, a specimen must be collected and forwarded to the Bureau. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 40-35-321(d)(1), 40-35-321, 40-35-321(d)(2)