Source: https://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2019/sb1274/fulltext/
Timestamp: 2019-08-26 04:48:15
Document Index: 512743

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 9', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 18', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19', '§ 19']

SB1274ER
SB1274S1
VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- CHAPTER An Act to amend and reenact §§ 19.2-187 and 19.2-187.01 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 9.1-1101.1, relating to Department of Forensic Science; purchase of forensic laboratory services. [S 1274] Approved
1. That §§ 19.2-187 and 19.2-187.01 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 9.1-1101.1 as follows:
§ 9.1-1101.1. Purchase of forensic laboratory services.
A. In any hearing or trial of any criminal offense or in any proceeding brought pursuant to Chapter 22.1 (§ 19.2-386.1 et seq.), a certificate of analysis of a person performing an analysis or examination, duly attested by such person, shall be admissible in evidence as evidence of the facts therein stated and the results of the analysis or examination referred to therein, provided that (i) the certificate of analysis is filed with the clerk of the court hearing the case at least seven days prior to the proceeding if the attorney for the Commonwealth intends to offer it into evidence in a preliminary hearing or the accused intends to offer it into evidence in any hearing or trial, or (ii) the requirements of subsection A of § 19.2-187.1 have been satisfied and the accused has not objected to the admission of the certificate pursuant to subsection B of § 19.2-187.1, when any such analysis or examination is performed in any laboratory operated by the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services or the Department of Forensic Science or authorized by such Department to conduct such analysis or examination, or performed by a person licensed by the Department of Forensic Science pursuant to § 18.2-268.9 or 46.2-341.26:9 to conduct such analysis or examination, or performed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Service, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Forensic Document Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or the U.S. Secret Service Laboratory. For purposes of this section, any laboratory that has entered into a contract with the Department of Forensic Science for the provision of forensic laboratory services shall be deemed authorized by the Department to conduct such analyses or examinations.
B. In a hearing or trial in which the provisions of subsection A of § 19.2-187.1 do not apply, a copy of such certificate shall be mailed or delivered by the clerk or attorney for the Commonwealth to counsel of record for the accused at no charge at least seven days prior to the hearing or trial upon request made by such counsel to the clerk with notice of the request to the attorney for the Commonwealth. The request to the clerk shall be on a form prescribed by the Supreme Court and filed with the clerk at least 10 days prior to the hearing or trial. In the event that a request for a copy of a certificate is filed with the clerk with respect to a case that is not yet before the court, the clerk shall advise the requester that he must resubmit the request at such time as the case is properly before the court in order for such request to be effective. If, upon proper request made by counsel of record for the accused, a copy of such certificate is not mailed or delivered by the clerk or attorney for the Commonwealth to counsel of record for the accused in a timely manner in accordance with this section, the accused shall be entitled to continue the hearing or trial.
D. Any testimony offered by either party in a preliminary hearing or sentencing hearing, or offered by the accused in any hearing other than a trial, from a person who performed an analysis or examination that resulted in a certificate of analysis may be presented by two-way video conferencing. The two-way video testimony permitted by this section shall comply with the provisions of subsection B of § 19.2-3.1. In addition, unless otherwise agreed by the parties and the court, (i) all orders pertaining to witnesses apply to witnesses testifying by video conferencing; (ii) upon request, all materials read or used by the witness during his testimony shall be identified on the video; and (iii) any witness testifying by video conferencing shall certify at the conclusion of his testimony, under penalty of perjury, that he did not engage in any off-camera communications with any person during his testimony.
E. For the purposes of this section and §§ 19.2-187.01, 19.2-187.1, and 19.2-187.2, the term "certificate of analysis" includes reports of analysis and results of laboratory examination.
SENATE BILL NO. 1274 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology on January 21, 2019) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Chafin) A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 19.2-187 and 19.2-187.01 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 9.1-1101.1, relating to Department of Forensic Science; purchase of forensic laboratory services.
SENATE BILL NO. 1274 Offered January 9, 2019 Prefiled January 7, 2019 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 9.1-1101.1, relating to Department of Forensic Science; purchase of forensic laboratory services.
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department shall make and enter into contracts or agreements for forensic laboratory services with laboratories located in the Commonwealth that are operated by an institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth or a corporate entity that is wholly owned by an institution of higher education located in the Commonwealth, which institution offers a program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. No such contract or agreement for forensic laboratory services shall be made or entered into with any other laboratory, except as provided in subsection B.
B. The Department may request, and the Director of the Division of Purchases and Supplies of the Department of General Services may be granted, an exemption from the provisions of subsection A in any case in which (i) a laboratory described in subsection A does not meet the reasonable requirements of the Department, (ii) a laboratory described in subsection A cannot provide the forensic laboratory services required by the Department, or (iii) forensic laboratory services identical to those provided by the laboratory described in subsection A can be obtained at a cost that is at least 10 percent less than the cost of obtaining such forensic laboratory services from the laboratory described in subsection A, as evidenced by a verified request for pricing. In any case in which an exemption is granted pursuant to this subsection, the Director of the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Department of General Services shall submit a written justification for the exception to the Directors of the Department of Forensic Science and the Department of General Services.