AN ACT to DIRECT THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY TO STUDY THE PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Study. – The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety shall study the preservation of biological evidence in this State. The study required under this section shall include all of the following:

(1)        An analysis as to how each county in the State collects, preserves, and destroys biological evidence, including the following:

a.         The location where biological evidence is stored, with reference to the agency that stores it.

b.         Whether the biological evidence remains stored in the same location prior to it being destroyed or if it is moved, and if it is moved, the procedure and time frame for doing so.

c.         The procedures in place to maintain the chain of custody.

d.         How long each county preserves and stores biological evidence.

e.         The costs incurred from preserving and storing biological evidence.

f.          The procedures for destroying biological evidence.

(2)        A comparative analysis on how the federal government and other states preserve, store, and destroy biological evidence, including the location, the manner in which it is stored, the amount of time it is stored, and the destruction procedures.

(3)        An analysis as to the best methods for storing and preserving biological evidence, including the length of time biological evidence should be preserved, with input from State and local agencies regarding practical implications such as storage space, manpower, and costs.

(4)        Any other matters the Committee deems relevant to its efforts.

SECTION 2.  Report. – The Committee shall report its findings, together with any proposed legislation, to the 2022 Regular Session of the 2021 General Assembly.

SECTION 3.  Effective Date. – This act is effective when it becomes law.