AUGUSTA – Felons who commit new misdemeanors will have to give up a sample of DNA after their latest conviction.

The bill sailed through both houses of the Legislature without debate, and Gov. John Baldacci signed it.

The legislation was co-sponsored by Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, to build up Maine’s DNA database. The hope: More DNA will be available to crack cold cases.

The Department of Corrections has collected the DNA from people convicted of felonies and most misdemeanor sex crimes since 1996.

The new law was a compromise from the original bill, which would have gone after all pre-1996 felons, regardless of whether they’d committed new crimes.