Bill > H2626

This bill amends Massachusetts law to establish a regulated framework for familial searching and partial DNA matches in criminal investigations. The legislation permits law enforcement to use specialized software to search DNA databases for potential biological relatives of individuals whose DNA was found at a crime scene, but with strict limitations. A newly created familial search oversight committee will manage this process, ensuring that searches are only conducted for serious unsolved violent crimes like rape and homicide, after all other investigative leads have been exhausted. The bill mandates comprehensive record-keeping about familial search applications, including demographic data, and requires that any potential leads be treated as confidential investigative information. Importantly, the legislation explicitly prohibits creating external or unregulated DNA databases and requires agencies to sign use agreements that protect individual privacy. The search process involves multiple confirmatory steps, such as calculating kinship likelihood ratios and additional DNA testing, to narrow potential matches. The policy will be subject to review every two years, and the Director of the relevant agency will be responsible for developing specific regulations governing the implementation of familial searching.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2626