The lower house of French parliament approved a bill Thursday that would allow immigrants to provide DNA samples in support of their applications to join relatives in France. The National Assembly voted 91 to 45 to allow a trial run of DNA testing for immigrants until 2010, the Associated Press reported. An amendment on DNA use passed in a thinly attended, late-night session. It is part of a broader immigration bill presented by Brice Hortefeux, a longtime friend of President Nicolas Sarkozy who heads the newly created Ministry of Immigration and National Identity. For the bill to become law, the upper house _ the Senate _ also must approve it. The higher chamber is expected to take up the bill on Oct. 2.
