To amend sections 2953.72, 2953.73, and 2953.82 of the Revised Code to eliminate the former two-year window for applications for post-conviction DNA testing and instead allow an eligible inmate to request post-conviction DNA testing at any time if specified criteria are met.

Section 1. That sections 2953.72, 2953.73, and 2953.82 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 2953.72. (A) Any eligible inmate who wishes to request DNA testing under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code shall submit an application for the testing to the court of common pleas specified in section 2953.73 of the Revised Code, on a form prescribed by the attorney general for this purpose. The eligible inmate shall submit the application within the period of time, and in accordance with the procedures, set forth in section 2953.73 of the Revised Code. The eligible inmate shall specify on the application the offense or offenses for which the inmate is an eligible inmate and is requesting the DNA testing. Along with the application, the eligible inmate shall submit an acknowledgment that is on a form prescribed by the attorney general for this purpose and that is signed by the inmate. The acknowledgment shall set forth all of the following:

(1) That sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code contemplate applications for DNA testing of eligible inmates at a stage of a prosecution or case after the inmate has been sentenced to a prison term or a sentence of death, that any exclusion or inclusion result of DNA testing rendered pursuant to those sections may be used by a party in any proceeding as described in section 2953.81 of the Revised Code, and that all requests for any DNA testing made at trial will continue to be handled by the prosecuting attorney in the case;

(2) That the process of conducting postconviction DNA testing for an eligible inmate under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code begins when the inmate submits an application under section 2953.73 of the Revised Code and the acknowledgment described in this section;

(3) That the eligible inmate must submit the application and acknowledgment to the court of common pleas that heard the case in which the inmate was convicted of the offense for which the inmate is an eligible offender and is requesting the DNA testing;

(4) That the state has established a set of criteria set forth in section 2953.74 of the Revised Code by which eligible inmate applications for DNA testing will be screened and that a judge of a court of common pleas upon receipt of a properly filed application and accompanying acknowledgment will apply those criteria to determine whether to accept or reject the application;

(5) That the results of DNA testing conducted under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code will be provided as described in section 2953.81 of the Revised Code to all parties in the postconviction proceedings and will be reported to various courts;

(6) That, if DNA testing is conducted with respect to an inmate under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code, the state will not offer the inmate a retest if an inclusion result is achieved relative to the testing and that, if the state were to offer a retest after an inclusion result, the policy would create an atmosphere in which endless testing could occur and in which postconviction proceedings could be stalled for many years;

(7) That, if the court rejects an eligible inmate's application for DNA testing because the inmate does not satisfy the acceptance criteria described in division (A)(4) of this section, the court will not accept or consider subsequent applications;

(8) That the acknowledgment memorializes the provisions of sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code with respect to the application of postconviction DNA testing to inmates, that those provisions do not give any inmate any additional constitutional right that the inmate did not already have prior to the effective date of those provisions, that the court has no duty or obligation to provide postconviction DNA testing to inmates, that the court of common pleas has the sole discretion subject to an appeal as described in this division to determine whether an inmate is an eligible inmate and whether an eligible inmate's application for DNA testing satisfies the acceptance criteria described in division (A)(4) of this section and whether the application should be accepted or rejected, that if the court of common pleas rejects an eligible inmate's application, the inmate may seek leave of the supreme court to appeal the rejection to that court if the inmate was sentenced to death for the offense for which the inmate is requesting the DNA testing and, if the inmate was not sentenced to death for that offense, may appeal the rejection to the court of appeals, and that no determination otherwise made by the court of common pleas in the exercise of its discretion regarding the eligibility of an inmate or regarding postconviction DNA testing under those provisions is reviewable by or appealable to any court;

(9) That the manner in which sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code with respect to the offering of postconviction DNA testing to inmates are carried out does not confer any constitutional right upon any inmate, that the state has established guidelines and procedures relative to those provisions to ensure that they are carried out with both justice and efficiency in mind, and that an inmate who participates in any phase of the mechanism contained in those provisions, including, but not limited to, applying for DNA testing and being rejected, having an application for DNA testing accepted and not receiving the test, or having DNA testing conducted and receiving unfavorable results, does not gain as a result of the participation any constitutional right to challenge, or, except as provided in division (A)(8) of this section, any right to any review or appeal of, the manner in which those provisions are carried out;

(10) That the most basic aspect of sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code is that, in order for DNA testing to occur, there must be an inmate sample against which other evidence may be compared, that, if an eligible inmate's application is accepted but the inmate subsequently refuses to submit to the collection of the sample of biological material from the inmate or hinders the state from obtaining a sample of biological material from the inmate, the goal of those provisions will be frustrated, and that an inmate's refusal or hindrance shall cause the court to rescind its prior acceptance of the application for DNA testing for the inmate and deny the application;

(11) That, if the inmate is an inmate who pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony offense and who is using the application and acknowledgment to request DNA testing under section 2953.82 of the Revised Code, all references in the acknowledgment to an "eligible inmate" are considered to be references to, and apply to, the inmate and all references in the acknowledgment to "sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code" are considered to be references to "section 2953.82 of the Revised Code"."

(B) The attorney general shall prescribe a form to be used to make an application for DNA testing under division (A) of this section and section 2953.73 of the Revised Code and a form to be used to provide the acknowledgment described in division (A) of this section. The forms shall include all information described in division (A) of this section, spaces for an inmate to insert all information necessary to complete the forms, including, but not limited to, specifying the offense or offenses for which the inmate is an eligible inmate and is requesting the DNA testing or for which the inmate is requesting the DNA testing under section 2953.82 of the Revised Code, and any other information or material the attorney general determines is necessary or relevant. The forms also shall be used to make an application requesting DNA testing under section 2953.82 of the Revised Code, and the attorney general shall ensure that they are sufficient for that type of use, and that they include all information and spaces necessary for that type of use. The attorney general shall distribute copies of the prescribed forms to the department of rehabilitation and correction, the department shall ensure that each prison in which inmates are housed has a supply of copies of the forms, and the department shall ensure that copies of the forms are provided free of charge to any inmate who requests them.

(C)(1) An inmate is eligible to request DNA testing to be conducted under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code only if all of the following apply:

(a) The offense for which the inmate claims to be an eligible inmate is a felony that was committed prior to the effective date of this section, and the inmate was convicted by a judge or jury of that offense.

(b) The inmate was sentenced to a prison term or sentence of death for the felony described in division (C)(1)(a) of this section and, on the effective date of this section, is in prison serving that prison term or under that sentence of death.

(c) On the date on which the application is filed, the inmate has at least one year remaining on the prison term described in division (C)(1)(b) of this section, or the inmate is in prison under a sentence of death as described in that division.

(2) An inmate is not an eligible inmate under division (C)(1) of this section regarding any offense to which the inmate pleaded guilty or no contest.

Sec. 2953.73. (A) An eligible inmate who wishes to request DNA testing to be conducted under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code shall submit an application for DNA testing on a form prescribed by the attorney general for this purpose and shall submit the form to the court of common pleas that sentenced the inmate for the offense for which the inmate is an eligible inmate and is requesting DNA testing. The eligible inmate shall submit the application to that court of common pleas not later than two years after October 29, 2003. No court of common pleas shall accept an application under this section after the expiration of the period of time specified in this division.

(B) If an eligible inmate submits an application for DNA testing under division (A) of this section, upon the submission of the application, all of the following apply:

(1) The eligible inmate shall serve a copy of the application on the prosecuting attorney and the attorney general.

(2) The application shall be assigned to the judge of that court of common pleas who was the trial judge in the case in which the eligible inmate was convicted of the offense for which the inmate is requesting DNA testing, or, if that judge no longer is a judge of that court, it shall be assigned according to court rules. The judge to whom the application is assigned shall decide the application. The application shall become part of the file in the case.

(C) If an eligible inmate submits an application for DNA testing under division (A) of this section, regardless of whether the inmate has commenced any federal habeas corpus proceeding relative to the case in which the inmate was convicted of the offense for which the inmate is an eligible inmate and is requesting DNA testing, any response to the application by the prosecuting attorney or the attorney general shall be filed not later than forty-five days after the date on which the eligible inmate submits the application. The prosecuting attorney or the attorney general, or both, may, but are not required to, file a response to the application. If the prosecuting attorney or the attorney general files a response under this division, the prosecuting attorney or attorney general, whoever filed the response, shall serve a copy of the response on the eligible inmate.

(D) If an eligible inmate submits an application for DNA testing under division (A) of this section, the court shall make the determination as to whether the application should be accepted or rejected. The court shall expedite its review of the application. The court shall make the determination in accordance with the criteria and procedures set forth in sections 2953.74 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code and, in making the determination, shall consider the application, the supporting affidavits, and the documentary evidence and, in addition to those materials, shall consider all the files and records pertaining to the proceedings against the applicant, including, but not limited to, the indictment, the court's journal entries, the journalized records of the clerk of the court, and the court reporter's transcript and all responses to the application filed under division (C) of this section by a prosecuting attorney or the attorney general, unless the application and the files and records show the applicant is not entitled to DNA testing, in which case the application may be denied. The court is not required to conduct an evidentiary hearing in conducting its review of, and in making its determination as to whether to accept or reject, the application. Upon making its determination, the court shall enter a judgment and order that either accepts or rejects the application and that includes within the judgment and order the reasons for the acceptance or rejection as applied to the criteria and procedures set forth in sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code. The court shall send a copy of the judgment and order to the eligible inmate who filed it, the prosecuting attorney, and the attorney general.

(E) A judgment and order of a court entered under division (D) of this section is appealable only as provided in this division. If an eligible inmate submits an application for DNA testing under section 2953.73 of the Revised Code and the court of common pleas rejects the application under division (D) of this section, one of the following applies:

(1) If the inmate was sentenced to death for the offense for which the inmate claims to be an eligible inmate and is requesting DNA testing, the inmate may seek leave of the supreme court to appeal the rejection to the supreme court. Courts of appeals do not have jurisdiction to review any rejection if the inmate was sentenced to death for the offense for which the inmate claims to be an eligible inmate and is requesting DNA testing.

(2) If the inmate was not sentenced to death for the offense for which the inmate claims to be an eligible inmate and is requesting DNA testing, the rejection is a final appealable order, and the inmate may appeal it to the court of appeals of the district in which is located that court of common pleas.

(F) Notwithstanding any provision of law regarding fees and costs, no filing fee shall be required of, and no court costs shall be assessed against, an eligible offender who is indigent and who submits an application under this section.

(G) If a court rejects an eligible inmate's application for DNA testing under division (D) of this section, unless the rejection is overturned on appeal, no court shall require the state to administer a DNA test under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code on the eligible inmate.

Sec. 2953.82.  (A) An inmate who pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony offense that was committed prior to October 29, 2003 may request DNA testing under this section regarding that offense if all of the following apply:

(1) The inmate was sentenced to a prison term or sentence of death for that felony and, on October 29, 2003, is in prison serving that prison term or under that sentence of death.

(2) On the date on which the inmate files the application requesting the testing with the court as described in division (B) of this section, the inmate has at least one year remaining on the prison term described in division (A)(1) of this section, or the inmate is in prison under a sentence of death as described in that division.

(B) An inmate who pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony offense that was committed prior to October 29, 2003, who satisfies the criteria set forth in division (A) of this section, and who wishes to request DNA testing under this section shall submit, in accordance with this division, an application for the testing to the court of common pleas and. Upon submitting the application to the court, the inmate shall serve a copy on the prosecuting attorney. The inmate shall specify on the application the offense or offenses for which the inmate is requesting the DNA testing under this section. Along with the application, the inmate shall submit an acknowledgment that is signed by the inmate. The application and acknowledgment required under this division shall be the same application and acknowledgment as are used by eligible inmates who request DNA testing under sections 2953.71 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code.

The inmate shall file the application with the court of common pleas not later than two years after October 29, 2003. Upon filing the application, the inmate shall serve a copy on the prosecuting attorney.

(C) Within forty-five days after the filing of an application for DNA testing under division (B) of this section, the prosecuting attorney shall file a statement with the court that indicates whether the prosecuting attorney agrees or disagrees that the inmate should be permitted to obtain DNA testing under this section. If the prosecuting attorney agrees that the inmate should be permitted to obtain DNA testing under this section, all of the following apply:

(1) The application and the written statement shall be considered for all purposes as if they were an application for DNA testing filed under section 2953.73 of the Revised Code that the court accepted, and the court, the prosecuting attorney, the attorney general, the inmate, law enforcement personnel, and all other involved persons shall proceed regarding DNA testing for the inmate pursuant to sections 2953.77 to 2953.81 of the Revised Code, in the same manner as if the inmate was an eligible inmate for whom an application for DNA testing had been accepted.

(2) Upon completion of the DNA testing, section 2953.81 of the Revised Code applies.

(D) If the prosecuting attorney disagrees that the inmate should be permitted to obtain DNA testing under this section, the prosecuting attorney's disagreement is final and is not appealable by any person to any court, and no court shall have authority, without agreement of the prosecuting attorney, to order DNA testing regarding that inmate and the offense or offenses for which the inmate requested DNA testing in the application.

(E) If the prosecuting attorney fails to file a statement of agreement or disagreement within the time provided in division (C) of this section, the court may order the prosecuting attorney to file a statement of that nature within fifteen days of the date of the order.

Section 2. That existing sections 2953.72, 2953.73, and 2953.82 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.