By Courtney Hessler, The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill moving through the West Virginia Senate could result in some people having to provide DNA samples when arrested.
West Virginia currently requires people convicted of certain felonies — such as a crime of violence, burglary or an offense with a minor victim — to submit a DNA sample after conviction. Proposed Senate Bill 53 would amplify the law to require the sample at the time of the arrest.
The bill would also require anyone convicted of a felony or certain misdemeanors — such as involuntary manslaughter or sex offenses — since March 9, 1995, to submit a DNA sample.
The bill is similar to one that passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2022, but failed to move forward. The committee discussed the 2023 version of the bill Thursday, but tabled it after discussions on the bill eclipsed an hour…