995-C - State DNA identification index.
§ 995-c. State DNA identification index. 1. Following the promulgation of a policy by the commission pursuant to subdivision nine of section nine hundred ninety-five-b of this article, the commissioner of criminal justice services is authorized to promulgate a plan for the establishment of a computerized state DNA identification index within the division of criminal justice services. 2. Following the review and approval of the plan by the DNA subcommittee and the commission and the filing of such plan with the speaker of the assembly and the temporary president of the senate, the commissioner of criminal justice services is hereby authorized to establish a computerized state DNA identification index pursuant to the provisions of this article. 3. Any designated offender subsequent to conviction and sentencing for a crime specified in subdivision seven of section nine hundred ninety-five of this article, shall be required to provide a sample appropriate for DNA testing to determine identification characteristics specific to such person and to be included in a state DNA identification index pursuant to this article. 4. The commissioner of the division of criminal justice services, in consultation with the commission, the commissioner of health, the division of parole, the director of the office of probation and correctional alternatives and the department of correctional services, shall promulgate rules and regulations governing the procedures for notifying designated offenders of the requirements of this section. 5. The sample shall be collected, stored and forwarded to any forensic DNA laboratory which has been authorized by the commission to perform forensic DNA testing and analysis for inclusion in the state DNA identification index. Such laboratory shall promptly perform the requisite testing and analysis, and forward the resulting DNA record only to the state DNA identification index in accordance with the regulations of the division of criminal justice services. Such laboratory shall perform DNA analysis only for those markers having value for law enforcement identification purposes. For the purposes of this article, the term "marker" shall have the meaning generally ascribed to it by members of the scientific community experienced in the use of DNA technology. 6. DNA records contained in the state DNA identification index shall be released only for the following purposes: (a) to a federal law enforcement agency, or to a state or local law enforcement agency or district attorney's office for law enforcement identification purposes upon submission of a DNA record in connection with the investigation of the commission of one or more crimes or to assist in the recovery or identification of specified human remains, including identification of missing persons, provided that there exists between the division and such agency a written agreement governing the use and dissemination of such DNA records in accordance with the provisions of this article; (b) for criminal defense purposes, to a defendant or his or her representative, who shall also have access to samples and analyses performed in connection with the case in which such defendant is charged; (c) after personally identifiable information has been removed by the division, to an entity authorized by the division for the purpose of creating or maintaining a population statistics database or for identification research and protocol development for forensic DNA analysis or quality control purposes. 7. Requests for DNA records must be in writing, or in a form prescribed by the division authorized by the requesting party, and,other than a request pursuant to paragraph (b) of subdivision six of this section, maintained on file at the state DNA identification index in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services. 8. The defendant, including the representative of a defendant, in a criminal action or proceeding shall have access to information in the state DNA identification index relating to the number of requests previously made for a comparison search and the name and identity of any requesting party. 9. (a) Upon receipt of notification of a reversal or a vacatur of a conviction, or of the granting of a pardon pursuant to article two-A of this chapter, of an individual whose DNA record has been stored in the state DNA identification index in accordance with this article by the division of criminal justice services, the DNA record shall be expunged from the state DNA identification index, and such individual may apply to the court in which the judgment of conviction was originally entered for an order directing the expungement of any DNA record and any samples, analyses, or other documents relating to the DNA testing of such individual in connection with the investigation or prosecution of the crime which resulted in the conviction that was reversed or vacated or for which the pardon was granted. A copy of such application shall be served on the district attorney and an order directing expungement may be granted if the court finds that all appeals relating to the conviction have been concluded; that such individual will not be retried, or, if a retrial has occurred, the trier of fact has rendered a verdict of complete acquittal, and that expungement will not adversely affect the investigation or prosecution of some other person or persons for the crime. The division shall, by rule or regulation, prescribe procedures to ensure that the DNA record in the state DNA identification index, and any samples, analyses, or other documents relating to such record, whether in the possession of the division, or any law enforcement or police agency, or any forensic DNA laboratory, including any duplicates or copies thereof, at the discretion of the possessor thereof, are either destroyed or returned to such individual, or to the attorney who represented him or her at the time such reversal, vacatur or pardon, was granted. The commissioner shall also adopt by rule and regulation a procedure for the expungement in other appropriate circumstances of DNA records contained in the index. (b) As prescribed in this paragraph, if an individual, either voluntarily or pursuant to a warrant or order of a court, has provided a sample for DNA testing in connection with the investigation or prosecution of a crime and (i) no criminal action against the individual relating to such crime was commenced within the period specified by section 30.10 of the criminal procedure law, or (ii) a criminal action was commenced against the individual relating to such crime which resulted in a complete acquittal, or (iii) a criminal action against the individual relating to such crime resulted in a conviction that was subsequently reversed or vacated, or for which the individual was granted a pardon pursuant to article two-A of this chapter, such individual may apply to the supreme court or the court in which the judgment of conviction was originally entered for an order directing the expungement of any DNA record and any samples, analyses, or other documents relating to the DNA testing of such individual in connection with the investigation or prosecution of such crime. A copy of such application shall be served on the district attorney and an order directing expungement may be granted if the court finds that the individual has satisfied the conditions of one of the subparagraphs of this paragraph; that if a judgment of conviction was reversed orvacated, all appeals relating thereto have been concluded and the individual will not be retried, or, if a retrial has occurred, the trier of fact has rendered a verdict of complete acquittal, and that expungement will not adversely affect the investigation or prosecution of some other person or persons for the crime. If an order directing the expungement of any DNA record and any samples, analyses or other documents relating to the DNA testing of such individual is issued, such record and any samples, analyses, or other documents shall, at the discretion of the possessor thereof, be destroyed or returned to such individual or to the attorney who represented him or her in connection with the application for the order of expungement.