Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 961 - Trial and Proceedings after Conviction
Section 54-102h. - Procedure for collection of blood or other biological sample for DNA analysis.

(a)(1) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (a) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the law enforcement agency that arrested such person and shall be taken at a time and place specified by that agency prior to such person's release from custody.

(2) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the Department of Correction and shall be taken at a time and place specified by the Department of Correction.
(3) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (c) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the Judicial Department and shall be taken at a time and place specified by the Court Support Services Division.
(4) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (d) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Commissioner of Developmental Services, as the case may be, and shall be taken at a time and place specified by said commissioner.
(5) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (e) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the Judicial Department if such person is serving a period of probation and of the Department of Correction if such person is serving a period of parole and shall be taken at a time and place specified by the Court Support Services Division or the Department of Correction, as the case may be.
(6) The collection of a blood or other biological sample from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (f) of section 54-102g shall be the responsibility of the agency in whose custody or under whose supervision such person has been placed, and shall be taken at a time and place specified by such agency.
(b) Only a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this state, a qualified laboratory technician, a registered nurse or a phlebotomist shall take any blood sample to be submitted to analysis.
(c) No civil liability shall attach to any person authorized to take a blood or other biological sample as provided in this section as a result of the act of taking such sample from any person submitting thereto, if the blood or other biological sample was taken according to recognized medical procedures, provided no person shall be relieved from liability for negligence in the taking of any such sample.
(d) (1) Chemically clean sterile disposable needles and vacuum draw tubes shall be used for all blood samples. The tube or container for a blood or other biological sample shall be sealed and labeled with the subject's name, Social Security number, date of birth, race and gender, the name of the person collecting the sample, and the date and place of collection. The tube or container shall be secured to prevent tampering with the contents.
(2) Only collection kits approved by the Division of Scientific Services within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection may be used for the collection of biological samples by buccal swabs.
(e) The steps set forth in this section relating to the taking, handling, identification and disposition of blood or other biological samples are procedural and not substantive. Substantial compliance therewith shall be deemed to be sufficient. The samples shall be transported to the Division of Scientific Services within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection not more than fifteen days following their collection and shall be analyzed and stored in the DNA data bank in accordance with sections 54-102i and 54-102j.
(P.A. 94-246, S. 2; P.A. 99-218, S. 11, 16; P.A. 03-242, S. 2; P.A. 04-188, S. 2; 04-234, S. 2; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); 07-158, S. 5; P.A. 10-102, S. 3; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; 11-207, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 99-218 amended Subsec. (b) 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 amended Subsec. (a) to make provisions applicable to “other biological” samples in addition to blood samples, provide that samples be “taken” rather than “withdrawn” and rephrase provisions re withdrawal of samples accordingly, add provision requiring samples from persons who are found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and are confined in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities or placed with the Commissioner of Mental Retardation be taken at a time and place specified by the superintendent or the commissioner, add provision requiring samples from persons serving probation or parole be taken at a time and place specified by the Court Support Services Division or the Board of Parole and make provision that requires certain medical personnel to withdraw any sample applicable only to the taking of “blood” samples, amended Subsec. (b) to make provision requiring the use of needles and vacuum draw tubes applicable to “blood” samples and include references to the “container” for the sample, designated existing provisions re procedure and substantial compliance therewith and requirements re transportation, analysis and storage as Subsec. (c) and amended said Subsec. to make provisions applicable to “other biological” samples and replace “withdrawal” with “their collection”; P.A. 04-188 amended Subsec. (a) to insert Subdiv. designators, amended Subsec. (a)(1) to provide that collection of the sample shall be the responsibility of Department of Correction, that samples collected are “from persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (a) of section 54-102g” rather than “pursuant to section 54-102g from persons who are to be incarcerated” and that samples be taken at “a time and place specified” by department rather than “at the receiving unit or at such other place as is designated” by department, amended Subsec. (a)(2) to provide that collection of the sample shall be the responsibility of Department of Public Safety and that samples collected are from “persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (b) of section 54-102g” rather than from “persons who are not sentenced to a term of confinement”, amended Subsec. (a)(3) to provide that collection of the sample shall be responsibility of the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services or Commissioner of Mental Retardation, as the case may be, that samples collected are from “persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (c) of section 54-102g” rather than “persons who are found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13 and are confined in a hospital for psychiatric disabilities or placed with the Commissioner of Mental Retardation” and that sample be taken at a time and place specified by “said commissioner” rather than by “the superintendent of such hospital or said commissioner, as the case may be”, amended Subsec. (a)(4) to provide that collection of the sample shall be the responsibility of Judicial Department if the person is serving a period of probation and of Board of Parole if the person is serving a period of parole and that samples collected are from “persons required to submit to the taking of such sample pursuant to subsection (d) of section 54-102g” rather than from “persons who are serving periods of probation or parole”, added new Subdiv. (5) re agency responsible for collection of a sample from persons required to submit to the taking of a sample pursuant to Sec. 54-102g(e), designated existing provision of Subsec. (a) re persons authorized to take a blood sample as new Subsec. (b), designated existing provision of Subsec. (a) re liability of persons taking a sample as new Subsec. (c), redesignated existing Subsec. (b) re needles, tubes and containers as Subsec. (d), and redesignated existing Subsec. (c) re procedure and substantial compliance therewith and requirements re transportation, analysis and storage as Subsec. (e); P.A. 04-234 replaced Board of Parole with Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1, 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. 07-158 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to substitute “Department of Correction” for “Board of Pardons and Paroles” re collection from certain parolees; P.A. 10-102 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to provide that collection of a sample shall be responsibility of Judicial Department, rather than Department of Public Safety, and shall be taken at time and place specified by Court Support Services Division, rather than sentencing court, and amended Subsec. (d) to designate existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and add Subdiv. (2) re collection kits approved for collection of biological samples by buccal swabs; 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. 11-207 amended Subsec. (a) to add new Subdiv. (1) re responsibility of arresting law enforcement agency to collect sample from persons required to submit to taking of sample pursuant to Sec. 54-102g(a) and requirement that sample be taken at time and place specified by agency prior to person's release from custody, and to redesignate existing Subdivs. (1) to (5) as Subdivs. (2) to (6) and amend same by making technical changes to statutory references.

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