Stop Forced DNA Collection in MO

I urge you to oppose and vote "No" on SB1458 (Schroer) and HB2868 (Parker), from a perspective grounded in a commitment to racial justice, privacy rights, and the abolition of systems that target marginalized communities. This bill dramatically expands the scope of mandatory DNA collection in Missouri. It removes the existing limitation that collection applies only to those arrested for a felony or specific enumerated offenses. Under this legislation, any individual 17 or older arrested for any felony offense will be subjected to warrantless DNA collection upon booking. This is a profound expansion of state power over our bodies. We must name this for what it is: state-sanctioned bodily intrusion without conviction. The presumption of innocence is a foundational principle of our justice system. Yet this bill compels people who have only been arrested to surrender their genetic material under threat of force. It explicitly authorizes the use of "such force as may be necessary" to collect samples. This language is not theoretical; it codifies a violent practice that will fall most heavily on Black and brown communities already over-policed and over-incarcerated. The expansion of DNA databases creates a permanent genetic surveillance apparatus. While the bill includes expungement provisions, these place the onus on individuals to navigate a complex legal process to have their information removed. For those whose cases are dismissed or who are found not guilty, the burden should not be on them to scrub their identity from a state database. The reality is that once collected, this sensitive information is vulnerable to misuse, and the bill’s exceptions for disclosure to broad categories of law enforcement and judicial officials do little to reassure communities already harmed by the carceral state. We also reject the framing of this as a neutral public safety measure. This bill is a direct response to a carceral logic that believes solving problems requires expanding the net of surveillance. It treats people as sources of forensic data rather than as members of communities deserving of dignity and trust. Genetic information is uniquely personal. It does not just reveal information about the individual; it implicates family members and genetic relatives, creating a surveillance network that punishes kinship. Missouri does not need to cast a wider net for DNA. It needs to invest in community safety, housing, and restorative practices that do not rely on the permanent labeling of our neighbors as potential criminals.