§ 9-19-43 — § 9-19-43. Report of laboratory test.

§ 9-19-43. Report of laboratory test.

(a) In any proceeding commenced in any court, commission, or agency, the report of analytical personnel employed by the state department of health to determine the presence of controlled substances in any specimen which has been subscribed and sworn to under the penalties of perjury by the person making the examination which was the basis for the report shall be admissible as evidence of the facts stated therein in any such proceeding. Provided, however, that if the report is to be offered at trial, written notice of the intention to offer the report as evidence, together with a copy thereof, must be given to the opposing party or parties, or to his or her or their attorneys, by mailing the notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, not less than ten (10) days before the introduction of the report into evidence, and that an affidavit of the notice and the return receipt is filed with the clerk of the court forthwith after the receipt has been returned. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to limit the right of any party to summon the person subscribing to the statement for the purpose of cross examination with respect to the report or to rebut the contents thereof or for any other purpose, nor to limit the right of any party to summon any other person to testify with respect to the report or for any other purpose, nor to limit the right of any party to summon the business records of any person offering the report.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall prohibit the court, in its discretion, from requiring the appearance of the person making the report at any proceeding.

Legislative History

P.L. 1988, ch. 395, § 1.