Utah law already requires adult felons to provide the state with a DNA sample, which is then entered in the national Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS.

By adding juveniles, Buttars said, law enforcement would have a better chance of stopping sex offenders from re-offending.

"You have a lot of repeat sex offenders. I believe anyone who commits a crime that is classified as a felony, and convicted, should have to give a DNA sample," he said.

One catch, however, is that the state's crime labs are already struggling to process a significant backlog of CODIS cases, said Stu Smith, the Utah Department of Public Safety's forensic services director.

Since 1995, when Utah began collecting DNA from convicted felons, 28,000 samples have been taken. But only 8,000 have been processed.

"Is it [Buttars' proposal] good? Yes. Is his intention great? Yes. Can we handle it? No," Smith said.

The CODIS system, while a valuable asset to law enforcement, is underfunded. Convicted felons are required to pay $75 to process their DNA sample - a swab of the inside of their cheeks - but only about 50 percent actually pay.

Even if every convicted felon wrote a check, Smith said, it still would not cover the cost of paying officers to take the samples and paying for the analysis of DNA, much of which is contracted to private labs.

"We're undercollecting for a program that is supposed to pay for itself and it's not," he said.

Buttars said, as part of his legislation, he would ask for money to fund additional staff and equipment. Legislative research staff are currently exploring the issue.

"I don't think it would be that significant. I believe if you added two or three people, or maybe some equipment one time, I think it would be reasonable," he said.

"To me, sex crimes are the most heinous crimes out there."

lrosetta@sltrib.com