Florida Senate - 2024                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 678
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì812232oÎ812232                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  01/16/2024           .                                
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       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Bradley) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete everything after the enacting clause
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Section 943.327, Florida Statutes, is created to
    6  read:
    7         943.327 Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Grant
    8  Program.—
    9         (1) As used in this section, the term “investigative
   10  genetic genealogy” means the combined application of laboratory
   11  testing, genetic genealogy and law enforcement investigative
   12  techniques to develop investigative leads in unsolved violent
   13  crimes and provide investigative leads as to the identity of
   14  unidentified human remains. Such methods must be in accordance
   15  with department rule and compatible with multiple genealogical
   16  databases which is available for law enforcement use for the
   17  purposes described in this section. For purposes of this grant
   18  program, funding is intended for developing genealogy DNA
   19  profiles consisting of 100,000 or more markers.
   20         (2) There is created within the department the Forensic
   21  Investigative Genetic Genealogy Grant Program to award grants to
   22  statewide and local law enforcement agencies and medical
   23  examiner’s offices to support those agencies and offices in the
   24  processing of DNA samples as specified under subsection (4).
   25         (3) The department shall annually award to statewide and
   26  local law enforcement agencies and medical examiner's offices
   27  any funds specially appropriated for the grant program to cover
   28  expenses related to using forensic investigative genetic
   29  genealogy methods to generate investigative leads for criminal
   30  investigations of violent crimes and to aid in the
   31  identification of unidentified human remains.
   32         (4) Grants may be used in accordance with department rule
   33  for any of the following purposes:
   34         (a) The analysis of DNA samples collected under applicable
   35  legal authority using forensic investigative genetic genealogy
   36  methods for solving violent crimes.
   37         (b) The analysis of DNA samples of unidentified human
   38  remains.
   39         (5) Each grant recipient shall provide to the executive
   40  director a report no later than 1 year after receipt of funding.
   41  This report must include all of the following:
   42         (a) The amount of annual funding received.
   43         (b) The number and type of cases pursued using
   44  investigative genetic genealogy methods.
   45         (c) The type of forensic investigative genetic genealogy
   46  methods used, including the name of the laboratory to which such
   47  testing is outsourced, if any, and the identity of the entity
   48  conducting any genetic genealogical research.
   49         (d) The result of the testing, such as decedent
   50  identification, perpetrator identification, or no
   51  identification.
   52         (e) The amount of time it took to make an identification or
   53  to determine no identification could be made.
   54         (6) The department may adopt rules pursuant to s.
   55  120.536(1), and s. 120.54, to implement and administer this
   56  section, and to allocate funds.
   57         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.
   58  
   59  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   60  And the title is amended as follows:
   61         Delete everything before the enacting clause
   62  and insert:
   63                        A bill to be entitled                      
   64         An act relating to Forensic Investigative Genetic
   65         Genealogy Grant Program; creating section 943.327;
   66         defining the term "investigative genetic genealogy";
   67         creating the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Grant
   68         Program within the Department of Law Enforcement;
   69         specifying potential grant recipients; providing
   70         purposes for the grants; requiring each grant
   71         recipient to provide a report to the executive
   72         director within a certain timeframe; specifying the
   73         required contents of the report; providing rulemaking
   74         authority; providing an effective date.