California Penal Code Section 296

CA Penal Code § 296 (2017)  

(a) The following persons shall provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, and a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required pursuant to this chapter for law enforcement identification analysis:

(1) Any person, including any juvenile, who is convicted of or pleads guilty or no contest to any felony offense, or is found not guilty by reason of insanity of any felony offense, or any juvenile who is adjudicated under Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code for committing any felony offense.

(2) Any adult person who is arrested for or charged with any of the following felony offenses:

(A) Any felony offense specified in Section 290 or attempt to commit any felony offense described in Section 290, or any felony offense that imposes upon a person the duty to register in California as a sex offender under Section 290.

(B) Murder or voluntary manslaughter or any attempt to commit murder or voluntary manslaughter.

(C) Commencing on January 1 of the fifth year following enactment of the act that added this subparagraph, as amended, any adult person arrested or charged with any felony offense.

(3) Any person, including any juvenile, who is required to register under Section 290 or 457.1 because of the commission of, or the attempt to commit, a felony or misdemeanor offense, or any person, including any juvenile, who is housed in a mental health facility or sex offender treatment program after referral to such facility or program by a court after being charged with any felony offense.

(4) The term “felony” as used in this subdivision includes an attempt to commit the offense.

(5) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting collection and analysis of specimens, samples, or print impressions as a condition of a plea for a non-qualifying offense.

(b) The provisions of this chapter and its requirements for submission of specimens, samples and print impressions as soon as administratively practicable shall apply to all qualifying persons regardless of sentence imposed, including any sentence of death, life without the possibility of parole, or any life or indeterminate term, or any other disposition rendered in the case of an adult or juvenile tried as an adult, or whether the person is diverted, fined, or referred for evaluation, and regardless of disposition rendered or placement made in the case of juvenile who is found to have committed any felony offense or is adjudicated under Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(c) The provisions of this chapter and its requirements for submission of specimens, samples, and print impressions as soon as administratively practicable by qualified persons as described in subdivision (a) shall apply regardless of placement or confinement in any mental hospital or other public or private treatment facility, and shall include, but not be limited to, the following persons, including juveniles:

(1) Any person committed to a state hospital or other treatment facility as a mentally disordered sex offender under Article 1 (commencing with Section 6300) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(2) Any person who has a severe mental disorder as set forth within the provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 2960) of Chapter 7 of Title 1 of Part 3 of the Penal Code.

(3) Any person found to be a sexually violent predator pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 6600) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(d) The provisions of this chapter are mandatory and apply whether or not the court advises a person, including any juvenile, that he or she must provide the data bank and database specimens, samples, and print impressions as a condition of probation, parole, or any plea of guilty, no contest, or not guilty by reason of insanity, or any admission to any of the offenses described in subdivision (a).

(e) If at any stage of court proceedings the prosecuting attorney determines that specimens, samples, and print impressions required by this chapter have not already been taken from any person, as defined under subdivision (a) of Section 296, the prosecuting attorney shall notify the court orally on the record, or in writing, and request that the court order collection of the specimens, samples, and print impressions required by law. However, a failure by the prosecuting attorney or any other law enforcement agency to notify the court shall not relieve a person of the obligation to provide specimens, samples, and print impressions pursuant to this chapter.

(f) Prior to final disposition or sentencing in the case the court shall inquire and verify that the specimens, samples, and print impressions required by this chapter have been obtained and that this fact is included in the abstract of judgment or dispositional order in the case of a juvenile. The abstract of judgment issued by the court shall indicate that the court has ordered the person to comply with the requirements of this chapter and that the person shall be included in the state’s DNA and Forensic Identification Data Base and Data Bank program and be subject to this chapter.

However, failure by the court to verify specimen, sample, and print impression collection or enter these facts in the abstract of judgment or dispositional order in the case of a juvenile shall not invalidate an arrest, plea, conviction, or disposition, or otherwise relieve a person from the requirements of this chapter.

(Amended November 2, 2004, by initiative Proposition 69, Sec. 3.)

Last modified: October 25, 2018