2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 23 - Law Enforcement and Public Safety › Chapter 3 - South Carolina Law Enforcement Division › Section 23-3-650. Confidentiality of DNA record and profile; availability; wilful disclosure; penalty.

(A) The DNA record and the results of a DNA profile of an individual provided under this article are confidential and must be securely stored, except that SLED must make available the results to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and to approved crime laboratories which serve these agencies and to the solicitor or the solicitor's designee upon a written or electronic request and in furtherance of an official investigation of a criminal offense. These records and results of an individual also must be made available as required by a court order following a hearing directing SLED to release the record or results. However, SLED must not make the DNA record or the DNA profile available to any entity that is not a law enforcement agency unless instructed to do so by order of a court with competent jurisdiction.
(B) To prevent duplications of DNA samples, SLED must coordinate with any law enforcement agency obtaining a DNA sample to determine whether a DNA sample from the person under lawful custodial arrest has been previously obtained and is in the State DNA Database.
(C) A person who wilfully discloses in any manner individually identifiable DNA information contained in the State DNA Database to a person or agency not entitled to receive this information is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined ten thousand dollars or three times the amount of any financial gain realized by the person, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(D) A person who, without authorization, wilfully obtains individually identifiable DNA information from the State DNA Database is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined ten thousand dollars or three times the amount of any financial gain realized by the person, whichever is greater, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 497, Part II, Section 131A; 2004 Act No. 230, Section 4; 2008 Act No. 413, Section 4.E, eff January 1, 2009.
Editor's Note
2008 Act No. 413, Section 4.A provides as follows:
"This SECTION may be cited as the 'South Carolina Protection from Violence Against Women and Children Act'."
2008 Act No. 413, Section 4.I provides as follows:
"This SECTION takes effect on January 1, 2009. However, the implementation of the procedures provided for in this SECTION is contingent upon the State Law Enforcement Division's receipt of funds necessary to implement these provisions. Until the provisions of this SECTION are fully funded and executed, implementation of the provisions of this SECTION shall not prohibit the collection and testing of DNA samples by the methods allowed prior to the implementation of this SECTION from persons convicted, adjudicated delinquent, or on probation or parole for those crimes listed in Section 23-3-620. Upon this SECTION taking effect, a South Carolina law enforcement agency, which has in its possession any DNA samples that have been included in the State DNA Database, immediately must destroy and dispose of the DNA samples in accordance with regulations promulgated by SLED pursuant to Section 23-3-640."
2008 Act No. 413, Section 7 provides as follows:
"The provisions of Section 17-28-350 become effective upon the signature of the Governor. All other provisions become effective January 1, 2009. The enactment of these provisions prior to the effective date indicates the intent of the General Assembly that statewide laws or practices shall exist to ensure additional procedures for post-conviction DNA testing, and proper preservation of biological evidence connected to murder, rape, and nonnegligent homicide in order that application for available federal funds shall be made by the appropriate agencies and considered by the appropriate federal agencies prior to the effective date."
Effect of Amendment
The 2008 amendment, in subsection (A), in the first sentence substituted "record" for "sample", in the second sentence substituted "records and results" for "results or the DNA sample" and "results" for "sample" and added the third sentence; added subsection (B)relating to preventing duplication of DNA samples; redesignated subsections (B) and (C) as subsections (C) and (D) and in both substituted "ten thousand dollars or three times the amount of any financial gain realized by the person, whichever is greater," for "not more than five hundred dollars" and "five years" for "one year".