West Virginia Code § 15-2B-12

Confidentiality; unauthorized uses of DNA databank; penalties
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(a) All DNA profiles and samples submitted to the West Virginia State Police pursuant to this
article shall be treated as confidential except as provided in this article.
(b) Any person who, by virtue of employment or official position has possession of or access
to individually identifiable DNA information contained in the state DNA database or
databank and who willfully discloses it in any manner to any person or agency not entitled to
receive it is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less
than $50 nor more than $500 or confined in jail for a period not to exceed one year, or both
fined and confined. u
(c) Any person who, without authorization, willfully obtains individually identifiable DNA
information from the state DNA database or databank is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than $500 or confined in jail for
a period not to exceed one year, or both fined and confined.
(d) DNA records and DNA samples submitted sto the West Virginia State Police Laboratory
pursuant to this article are exempt from disclosure under the provisions of article one,
chapter twenty-nine-b of this code, or any iother statutory provision or court opinion
requiring the disclosure of public regcords.
(e) In case of a criminal proceeding, a request to access a person's DNA record must be
made in accordance with rules for criminal discovery as provided in the West Virginia Code
and the Rules of Criminal Procedure. The West Virginia State Police Laboratory is not
required to provide, for criminal discovery purposes, more than the DNA profile(s) and
identifying information generated as a result of the search that led to the match between the
case evidence and the defendant.

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