Pa. Lawmaker: Supreme Court Decision On DNA Samples Clears Way For State Action

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- A top state senator says Monday's US Supreme Court decision (see related story) clears the way for a vote on legislation that would require people charged with serious crimes to submit DNA samples.

A similar DNA collection bill introduced by Chester Republican Dominic Pileggi, the Senate majority leader, went back and forth between the House and Senate, with each chamber making changes, until the clock ran out on the two-year legislative session last November.

Pileggi spokesman Erik Arneson says the bill was re-introduced in the current session.

"This session, we introduced the bill and started moving it. When it became apparent that the court was going to hear the case, we waited until the court made its decision to know whether or not the fundamental proposition is legal and if so, as it turns out it is, whether there's any specific elements in our bill that would need to be changed."

Arneson says the Supreme Court ruling is being reviewed with eye toward making any necessary changes before the DNA bill is brought up for a vote soon.