Plain English Breakdown
The official text states the bill 'would authorize' actions and requires reports commencing July 1, 2026; it does not confirm if the law is currently active or signed by the Governor.
AB-2661: Releasing Newborn Blood Samples for Criminal Investigations
This law allows the state health department to share parts of newborn blood samples with coroners or police under specific conditions involving serious crimes.
What This Bill Does
- Allows the Department of Public Health to release a portion of a newborn's dried blood spot card upon request from a coroner to identify unidentified human remains.
- Permits law enforcement to obtain DNA from these samples if they have a search warrant for cases involving homicide, kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death, or manslaughter where the goal is to find a missing person suspected as a victim.
- Requires the department to track how many requests and warrants it receives regarding newborn screening specimens.
- Mandates that annual reports sent to the Legislature include data on the number of disclosures made in response to these legal requests.
Who It Names or Affects
- The State Department of Public Health
- Coroners seeking to identify unidentified human remains
- Law enforcement agencies investigating specific felonies involving missing persons suspected as victims
Terms To Know
- Newborn blood specimen card
- A small piece of paper with dried blood taken from a baby shortly after birth for health screening.
- Search warrant
- An official order signed by a judge that allows police to search for and take specific evidence related to a crime.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law only applies if the goal is to find DNA from a missing person suspected of being killed or kidnapped.
- It does not allow access to these samples for crimes other than homicide, kidnapping, child abuse resulting in death, or manslaughter.