# 44 Pa.C.S. § 2302: Policy

> Pennsylvania · Statutes · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2302

## Section

- **Citation:** 44 Pa.C.S. § 2302
- **Heading:** Policy
- **Jurisdiction:** Pennsylvania
- **Kind:** Statutes
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** PA Code / Title 44 / Chapter 23 / Section 2302

## Text

The General Assembly finds and declares that:

(1) Forensic DNA testing is an important tool in criminal investigations and investigations of missing persons or unidentified decedents, in excluding innocent individuals who are the subject of criminal investigations or prosecutions and in detecting and deterring repeated crimes by the same individual.

(2) Several states have enacted laws requiring persons convicted of certain crimes, especially sex offenses, to provide genetic samples for DNA profiling.

(3) Moreover, it is the policy of the Commonwealth to assist Federal, State and local criminal justice and law enforcement agencies in the identification and detection of individuals in criminal investigations and investigations of missing persons or unidentified decedents.

(4) It is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to establish a DNA data base and a DNA data bank containing DNA samples submitted by individuals convicted of, adjudicated delinquent for or accepted into ARD for felony sex offenses and other specified offenses and containing DNA samples collected as part of an investigation into missing persons or unidentified decedents.

(5) It is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to authorize the State Police to use DNA analysis and to identify these individuals to a criminal justice agency in certain cases. (Oct. 24, 2018, P.L.896, No.147, eff. 360 days; Feb. 3, 2022, P.L.16, No.4, eff. 60 days) Special Provisions in Appendix. See section 7 of Act 4 of 2022 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to Pennsylvania State Police.

## Nearby sections

- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2301 Scope of chapter.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2301.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2302 Policy.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2302.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2303 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2303.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2311 Powers and duties of State Police.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2311.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2312 State DNA Data Base.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2312.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2313 State DNA Data Bank.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2313.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2314 State Police recommendation of additional offenses and annual report.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2314.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2315 Procedural compatibility with FBI.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2315.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2316 DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2316.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2316.1 Collection from persons accepted from other jurisdictions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2316.1.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2316.2 Collection of DNA in investigations of high-risk missing persons and missing children.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2316.2.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2316.3 Collection of DNA in investigations of missing persons.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2316.3.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2316.4 Collection of DNA in investigations of unidentified decedents.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2316.4.md)
- [44 Pa.C.S. § 2317 Procedures for collection and transmission of DNA samples.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2317.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_PA_T44_C23_S2302. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.