(Columbia-AP) Jan. 28, 2004 - The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill 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.

The bill's sponsor, Marlboro Representative Doug Jennings, DNA evidence helps convict the guilty and helps exonerate the innocent.

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, but Jennings says federal funds can help pay for the program.

A SLED spokeswoman says the agency supports the all-felons database.

posted 8:38am by Chris Rees