House Committee passes bill requiring DNA from all felons

COLUMBIA, S.C. - The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would expand the state's DNA database to include anyone convicted of a felony.

South Carolina currently requires all those convicted of violent crimes and sex-related crimes to submit DNA for storage at the State Law Enforcement Division lab.

DNA evidence "helps convict the guilty and helps exonerate the innocent," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Marlboro.

Making the donation of DNA samples mandatory for all felons would increase the database by thousands of entries each year and be an added cost. Jennings said federal funds can help pay for the program.

SLED supports the all-felons database, said spokeswoman Kathryn Richardson.