By CARA MATTHEWS Gannett Albany Bureau

ALBANY - Starting Oct. 12, anyone convicted of a felony or penal law misdemeanor will have to provide a sample for the state's DNA Databank.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law Monday.

Currently, people found guilty of any felony and 36 misdemeanors - 48 percent of offenders in New York-- have to give a DNA sample for the databank.

The law makes New York the first state in the country with what's called an "all crimes" DNA database.

Cuomo proposed the expansion, which has been hailed by law-enforcement groups from around the state but criticized by civil libertarians.

The governor said Monday that DNA is a "state-of-the-art device, mechanism to find the truth." The bill he signed was seven years in the making, he said.

"Not to use it was actually a way of avoiding the truth. And we did that for many, many years," he said.

New York's DNA Databank has been used for more than 2,900 convictions, according to the governor's office. DNA samples have exonerated 27 people and helped clear many others early on in investigations. Tests cost about $30 each.

Cuomo said he is confident that state has the staff and system in place to handle the increase in volume as a result of the DNA Databank expansion.

See more here:
Cuomo Signs DNA Database Bill