By: Journalist Marlee Taylor (OSU)
The voting buttons in the Senate chamber.
House Bill No. OSU-517, titled the DNA Privacy and Security Act of 2025, was introduced
during the 2nd Session of the 56th Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature by Representative
Kuykendall (OSU) in the Senate. The bill addresses growing concerns about how DNA evidence
is used, stored, and protected in Oklahoma’s criminal justice system.
The bill’s main goal is to limit DNA usage strictly to criminal justice purposes, including
identifying suspects, proving innocence, and solving crimes. It bans any use of DNA for
commercial or non-criminal purposes such as marketing, employment decisions, or insurance
evaluations. This ensures that individuals’ genetic information cannot be exploited for profit or
unrelated investigations.
To prevent unauthorized access, the bill requires judicial approval before law enforcement or
forensic personnel can retrieve DNA profiles. Additionally, all users must pass multi-factor
authentication to enter the system. If these rules are violated, responsible individuals face fines,
termination, and possible imprisonment, with investigations conducted by the Oklahoma State
Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).
The bill also outlines procedures for DNA removal. Individuals who are found not guilty or whose
charges are dropped must have their DNA profiles removed quickly. For misdemeanor
convictions, profiles may be removed after three to ten years of good behavior, depending on
the severity of the offense. Violations of due process, such as retaining DNA without legal
cause, are also addressed.
Importantly, the bill gives individuals the right to know how their DNA is being used, request
removal, and access their own DNA profile. After cases are closed and time served, DNA
samples such as blood, saliva, and hair must be destroyed—unless the case involved a felony,
in which exceptions apply.
Senator Kylie Hoffee expressed support for the bill during an interview, noting its improvements
from a previous version introduced last semester. “I think there’s been so much improvement
made from last semester when she had brought this bill, and there’s a lot of corrections that
were made that make me in favor of this bill currently… it’s very well written, and she answered
my questions very well. So right now, I’m very excited about it, yeah” (K. Hoffee, personal
communication, April 2025).
If passed, the DNA Privacy and Security Act of 2025 will take effect 90 days after approval. This
legislation marks a significant step toward balancing criminal justice needs with personal privacy
rights in Oklahoma.