Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 961 - Trial and Proceedings after Conviction
Section 54-102g. - Blood or other biological sample required from certain arrested or convicted persons for DNA analysis.

(a) Whenever any person is arrested on or after October 1, 2011, for the commission of a serious felony and, prior to such arrest, has been convicted of a felony but has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis pursuant to this section, the law enforcement agency that arrested such person shall, as available resources allow, require such person to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person. If the law enforcement agency requires such person to submit to the taking of such blood or other biological sample, such person shall submit to the taking of such sample prior to release from custody and at such time and place as the agency may specify. For purposes of this subsection, “serious felony” means a violation of section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, or section 53a-54a, 53a-54b, 53a-54c, 53a-54d, 53a-55, 53a-55a, 53a-56, 53a-56a, 53a-56b, 53a-57, 53a-59, 53a-59a, 53a-60, 53a-60a, 53a-60b, 53a-60c, 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-72b, 53a-92, 53a-92a, 53a-94, 53a-94a, 53a-95, 53a-100aa, 53a-101, 53a-102, 53a-102a, 53a-103a, 53a-111, 53a-112, 53a-134, 53a-135, 53a-136, 53a-167c, 53a-179b, 53a-179c or 53a-181c.

(b) Any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, or a felony, and has been sentenced on that conviction to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction, and who has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (a) of this section with respect to such offense, shall, prior to release from custody and at such time as the commissioner may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person. If any person required to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to this subsection refuses to do so, the Commissioner of Correction or the commissioner's designee shall notify the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection within thirty days of such refusal for the initiation of criminal proceedings against such person.
(c) Any person who is convicted of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, or a felony and is not sentenced to a term of confinement, and who has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (a) of this section with respect to such offense, shall, as a condition of such sentence and at a time and place specified by the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Department, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person.
(d) Any person who has been found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13 of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, or a felony, and is in the custody of the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Commissioner of Developmental Services as a result of that finding, and who has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (a) of this section with respect to such offense, shall, prior to a court hearing commenced in accordance with subsection (d) of section 17a-582, and at such time as the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Commissioner of Developmental Services with whom such person has been placed may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person.
(e) Any person who has been convicted of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, or a felony, and is serving a period of probation or parole, and who has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section, shall, prior to discharge from the supervision of the Court Support Services Division or the custody of the Department of Correction and at such time as said division or department may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person.
(f) Any person who has been convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in any other state or jurisdiction of a felony or of any crime, the essential elements of which are substantially the same as a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, and is in the custody of the Commissioner of Correction, is under the supervision of the Judicial Department or the Board of Pardons and Paroles or is under the jurisdiction of the Psychiatric Security Review Board, shall, prior to discharge from such custody, supervision or jurisdiction submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person.
(g) If the blood or other biological sample taken from a person pursuant to this section is not of sufficient quality for DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis to determine identification characteristics specific to the person, the person shall submit to the taking of an additional sample or samples until a sample of sufficient quality is obtained.
(h) The analysis shall be performed by the Division of Scientific Services within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, except that the division shall analyze samples taken pursuant to subsection (a) of this section only as available resources allow. The identification characteristics of the profile resulting from the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) analysis shall be stored and maintained by the division in a DNA data bank and shall be made available only as provided in section 54-102j.
(i) Any person who refuses to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to this section or wilfully fails to appear at the time and place specified pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for the taking of a blood or other biological sample shall be guilty of a class D felony. Any person required to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (c) of this section who wilfully fails to appear to submit to the taking of such sample within five business days of the time specified by the Court Support Services Division may be arrested pursuant to a warrant issued under section 54-2a.
(j) If any person required to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to any provision of this section is in the custody of the Commissioner of Correction and refuses to submit to the taking of such sample, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee may use reasonable force to obtain a blood or other biological sample from such person.
(k) For the purposes of this section, a motor vehicle violation for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment of more than one year may be imposed shall be deemed an unclassified felony.
(P.A. 94-246, S. 1; P.A. 98-111, S. 10; P.A. 99-183, S. 11, 13; 99-218, S. 10, 16; P.A. 03-242, S. 1; P.A. 04-188, S. 1; 04-234, S. 2; 04-257, S. 121; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); P.A. 10-102, S. 2; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; 11-144, S. 1; 11-207, S. 1; P.A. 12-133, S. 20; P.A. 19-189, S. 33; P.A. 22-26, S. 31.)
History: P.A. 98-111 added new Subsec. (c) requiring any person found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect of any violation specified in Subsec. (a) or (b) on or after October 1, 1994 to have a blood sample taken for DNA analysis prior to discharge from custody, redesignating former Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (d); P.A. 99-183 revised the crimes the conviction of which subjects a person to DNA testing by replacing “a violation of section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b, 53a-71, 53a-72a or 53a-72b” in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and “any violation specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this section” in Subsec. (c) with “a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, a nonviolent sexual offense or a sexually violent offense, as those terms are defined in section 54-250, or of a felony found by the sentencing court to have been committed for a sexual purpose, as provided in section 54-254”, amended Subsec. (a) to make provisions applicable to a person convicted of any of the specified offenses who “is sentenced to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction” rather than a person who is convicted of any of the specified offenses “on or after October 1, 1994, and is sentenced to the custody of the Commissioner of Correction” or a person who has been convicted of any of the specified offenses “and on October 1, 1994, is in the custody of the Commissioner of Correction”, amended Subsec. (b) to delete provision re applicability to persons convicted “on or after October 1, 1994”, amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision re applicability to persons found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect “on or after October 1, 1994” and include a discharge in accordance with Sec. 17a-588, and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 99-218 amended Subsec. (d) by replacing the State Police Forensic Science Laboratory with the Division of Scientific Services within the Department of Public Safety, effective July 1, 1999; P.A. 03-242 replaced in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) “a felony found by the sentencing court to have been committed for a sexual purpose as provided in section 54-254” with “a felony”, amended Subsec. (a) to replace requirement that the person “at any time prior to release from custody, have a sample of such person's blood taken” with requirement that the person “prior to release from custody and at such time as the commissioner may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample”, amended Subsec. (b) to replace requirement that the person “have a sample of such person's blood taken” with requirement that the person “at such time as the sentencing court may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample”, amended Subsec. (c) to replace requirement that the person “at any time” prior to discharge from custody “have a sample of such person's blood taken” with requirement that the person prior to discharge from custody and “at such time as the superintendent of the hospital for psychiatric disabilities in which such person is confined or the Commissioner of Mental Retardation with whom such person has been placed may specify, submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample”, added new Subsec. (d) requiring any person who is convicted of a criminal offense against a victim who is a minor, nonviolent sexual offense, sexually violent offense or felony and is serving a period of probation or parole to submit to the taking of a blood or other biological sample prior to discharge from custody and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (e); P.A. 04-188 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “is convicted” with “has been convicted”, replace “is sentenced” with “has been sentenced on that conviction” and add provision re notification of Department of Public Safety when a person refuses to submit to the taking of a sample, amended Subsec. (c) to replace “is found not guilty” with “has been found not guilty”, add condition that such person “is in custody as a result of that finding” and replace “superintendent of the hospital for psychiatric disabilities in which such person is confined” with “Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services”, added new Subsec. (e) re taking of samples from persons convicted or found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect in another state or jurisdiction and who are in the custody or under the supervision or jurisdiction of certain agencies in this state, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec. (f) and added Subsec. (g) to make it a class A misdemeanor to refuse to submit to the taking of a sample; P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-257 amended Subsec. (d) to replace references to “the Board of Parole” and “board” with “the Department of Correction” and “department”, respectively, effective June 14, 2004; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 10-102 amended Subsec. (b) to require submission to taking of sample “at a time and place specified by the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Department” rather than “at such time as the sentencing court may specify” and amended Subsec. (g) to increase penalty from class A misdemeanor to class D felony and add provision re arrest by warrant of person who refuses to submit to taking of sample pursuant to Subsec. (b) within 5 days of time specified; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-144 required sample taken be “of sufficient quality”, amended Subsec. (c) to make applicable to person who is “in the custody of the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Commissioner of Developmental Services”, rather than “in custody”, and require person to submit to taking of sample “prior to a court hearing commenced in accordance with subsection (d) of section 17a-582”, rather than “prior to discharge from custody in accordance with subsection (e) of section 17a-582, section 17a-588 or subsection (g) of section 17a-593”, added new Subsec. (f) to require person to submit to taking of additional sample or samples until sample of sufficient quality is obtained, redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (g), redesignated existing Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (h) and amended same to make penalty applicable to person who “wilfully fails to appear at the time and place specified pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for the taking of a blood or other biological sample” and replace “refuses” with “wilfully fails to appear” and added Subsec. (i) to authorize use of reasonable force to obtain sample from person in custody of Commissioner of Correction who refuses to submit to taking of sample; P.A. 11-207 added new Subsec. (a) re taking of blood or other biological sample for DNA analysis of person arrested on or after October 1, 2011, for commission of serious felony who prior to such arrest has been convicted of a felony but has not submitted to the taking of such a sample, redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) to (g) as Subsecs. (b) to (h), amended Subsecs. (b) to (d) to add condition that such person “has not submitted to the taking of a blood or other biological sample pursuant to subsection (a) of this section with respect to such offense”, amended Subsec. (e) to make a technical change, amended Subsec. (g) to add exception that division shall analyze samples taken pursuant to Subsec. (a) only as available resources allow and make a technical change, and amended Subsec. (h) to make a technical change; P.A. 12-133 added Subsec. (k) re motor vehicle violation for which sentence to a term of imprisonment of more than 1 year may be imposed deemed an unclassified felony; P.A. 19-189 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “53a-70b,” with “section 53a-70b of the general statutes, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2019, or”; P.A. 22-26 amended Subsec. (e) by replacing “custody” of Court Support Services Division to “supervision” of said division and by making a technical change, effective May 10, 2022.
Purpose of section is to further the regulatory, nonpunitive goal of maintaining a DNA data bank to assist in criminal investigations, not to punish those convicted of crimes by requiring them to submit a DNA sample; penalty provision of section does not render the entire statutory scheme punitive in fact; prior to the legislature's amendment of the section in 2011, section was ambiguous as to whether it was permissible for the trial court to authorize the state to use reasonable physical force to obtain a sample of a defendant's DNA, but the use of reasonable force to obtain a DNA sample from an unwilling individual was inherent in section; section is regulatory in nature, rather than punitive, and does not violate the federal constitution's bar on ex post facto laws under article one, section 10. 321 C. 821.
Section is regulatory in nature and does not violate the ex post facto clause, and the state may use reasonable force to obtain a DNA sample. 143 CA 485; judgment affirmed, see 321 C. 821. Defendant's double jeopardy claim fails because refusal to provide DNA sample is new, postconviction conduct and constitutes a separate crime. Id., 510.

Structure Connecticut General Statutes