Subtitle IV—Criminal Records and Information
CHAPTER 401 —CHILD ABUSE CRIME INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND CHECKS
§40101. Reporting child abuse crime information
(a) In general
In each State, an authorized criminal justice agency of the State shall report child abuse crime information to, or index child abuse crime information in, the national criminal history background check system. A criminal justice agency may satisfy the requirement of this subsection by reporting or indexing all felony and serious misdemeanor arrests and dispositions.
(b) Provision of State child abuse crime records through national criminal history background check system
(1) Not later than 180 days after December 20, 1993, the Attorney General shall, subject to availability of appropriations—
(A) investigate the criminal history records system of each State and determine for each State a timetable by which the State should be able to provide child abuse crime records on an on-line basis through the national criminal history background check system;
(B) in consultation with State officials, establish guidelines for the reporting or indexing of child abuse crime information, including guidelines relating to the format, content, and accuracy of criminal history records and other procedures for carrying out this chapter; and
(C) notify each State of the determinations made pursuant to subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(2) The Attorney General shall require as a part of each State timetable that the State—
(A) by not later than the date that is 5 years after December 20, 1993, have in a computerized criminal history file at least 80 percent of the final dispositions that have been rendered in all identifiable child abuse crime cases in which there has been an event of activity within the last 5 years;
(B) continue to maintain a reporting rate of at least 80 percent for final dispositions in all identifiable child abuse crime cases in which there has been an event of activity within the preceding 5 years; and
(C) take steps to achieve 100 percent disposition reporting, including data quality audits and periodic notices to criminal justice agencies identifying records that lack final dispositions and requesting those dispositions.
(c) Liaison
An authorized agency of a State shall maintain close liaison with the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse for the exchange of technical assistance in cases of child abuse.
(d) Annual summary
(1) The Attorney General shall publish an annual statistical summary of child abuse crimes.
(2) The annual statistical summary described in paragraph (1) shall not contain any information that may reveal the identity of any particular victim or alleged violator.
(e) Annual report
The Attorney General shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, publish an annual summary of each State's progress in reporting child abuse crime information to the national criminal history background check system.
(f) Study of child abuse offenders
(1) Not later than 180 days after December 20, 1993, the Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shall begin a study based on a statistically significant sample of convicted child abuse offenders and other relevant information to determine—
(A) the percentage of convicted child abuse offenders who have more than 1 conviction for an offense involving child abuse;
(B) the percentage of convicted child abuse offenders who have been convicted of an offense involving child abuse in more than 1 State; and
(C) the extent to which and the manner in which instances of child abuse form a basis for convictions for crimes other than child abuse crimes.
(2) Not later than 2 years after December 20, 1993, the Administrator shall submit a report to the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives containing a description of and a summary of the results of the study conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b)(2)(A).
Subsec. (f)(2).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Guidelines for Adoption of Safeguards by Care Providers and States for Protecting Children, the Elderly, or Individuals With Disabilities From Abuse
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
§40102. Background checks
(a) In general
(1) A State may have in effect procedures (established by State statute or regulation) that require qualified entities designated by the State to contact an authorized agency of the State to request a nationwide background check for the purpose of determining whether a covered individual has been convicted of a crime that bears upon the covered individual's fitness to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities.
(2) The authorized agency shall access and review State and Federal criminal history records through the national criminal history background check system and shall make reasonable efforts to respond to the inquiry within 15 business days.
(3)(A) The Attorney General shall establish a program, in accordance with this section, to provide qualified entities located in States that do not have in effect procedures described in paragraph (1), or qualified entities located in States that do not prohibit the use of the program established under this paragraph, with access to national criminal history background checks on, and criminal history reviews of, covered individuals. In any case where the use of a Federal national criminal history background check program is required pursuant to Federal law as of the effective date of this subparagraph, the program under this subparagraph may not be used.
(B) A qualified entity described in subparagraph (A) may submit to the appropriate designated entity a request for a national criminal history background check on, and a criminal history review of, a covered individual. Qualified entities making a request under this paragraph shall comply with the guidelines set forth in subsection (b), and with any additional applicable procedures set forth by the Attorney General or by the State in which the entity is located.
(b) Guidelines
The procedures established under subsection (a) shall require—
(1) that no qualified entity may request a background check of a covered individual under subsection (a) unless the covered individual first provides a set of fingerprints and completes and signs a statement that—
(A) contains the name, address, and date of birth appearing on a valid identification document (as defined in
(B) the covered individual has not been convicted of a crime and, if the covered individual has been convicted of a crime, contains a description of the crime and the particulars of the conviction;
(C) notifies the covered individual that the entity may request a background check under subsection (a);
(D) notifies the covered individual of the covered individual's rights under paragraph (2); and
(E) notifies the covered individual that prior to the completion of the background check the qualified entity may choose to deny the covered individual access to a person to whom the qualified entity provides care;
(2) that the State, or in a State that does not have in effect procedures described in subsection (a)(1), the designated entity, ensures that—
(A) each covered individual who is the subject of a background check under subsection (a) is entitled to obtain a copy of any background check report;
(B) each covered individual who is the subject of a background check under subsection (a) is provided a process by which the covered individual may appeal the results of the background check to challenge the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in the background report of the covered individual and obtain a prompt determination as to the validity of such challenge before a final determination is made by the authorized agency;
(C)(i) each covered individual described in subparagraph (B) is given notice of the opportunity to appeal;
(ii) each covered individual described in subparagraph (B) will receive instructions on how to complete the appeals process if the covered individual wishes to challenge the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in the background report of the covered individual; and 1
(iii) the appeals process is completed in a timely manner for each covered individual described in subparagraph (B); 2
(iv) the appeals process is consistent with title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (
(D) an authorized agency, upon receipt of a background check report lacking disposition data, shall conduct research in whatever State and local recordkeeping systems are available in order to obtain complete data;
(3) that an authorized agency or designated entity, as applicable,,3 upon receipt of a background check report lacking disposition data, shall conduct research in whatever State and local recordkeeping systems are available in order to obtain complete data;
(4) that the authorized agency or designated entity, as applicable, shall make a determination whether the covered individual has been convicted of, or is under pending indictment for, a crime that bears upon the covered individual's fitness to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities and shall convey that determination to the qualified entity; and
(5) that any background check under subsection (a) and the results thereof shall be handled in accordance with the requirements of
(c) Regulations
(1) The Attorney General may by regulation prescribe such other measures as may be required to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including measures relating to the security, confidentiality, accuracy, use, misuse, and dissemination of information, and audits and recordkeeping.
(2) The Attorney General shall, to the maximum extent possible, encourage the use of the best technology available in conducting background checks.
(d) Liability
A qualified entity shall not be liable in an action for damages solely for failure to conduct a criminal background check on a covered individual, nor shall a State or political subdivision thereof nor any agency, officer or employee thereof,,3 nor shall any designated entity nor any officer or employee thereof, be liable in an action for damages for the failure of a qualified entity (other than itself) to take action adverse to a covered individual who was the subject of a background check.
(e) Fees
(1) State program
In the case of a background check conducted pursuant to a State requirement adopted after December 20, 1993, conducted with fingerprints on a covered individual, the fees collected by authorized State agencies and the Federal Bureau of Investigation may not exceed the actual cost of the background check conducted with fingerprints.
(2) Federal program
In the case of a national criminal history background check and criminal history review conducted pursuant to the procedures established pursuant to subsection (a)(3), the fees collected by a designated entity shall be set at a level that will ensure the recovery of the full costs of providing all such services. The designated entity shall remit the appropriate portion of such fee to the Attorney General, which amount is in accordance with the amount published in the Federal Register to be collected for the provision of a criminal history background check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(3) Ensuring fees do not discourage volunteers
A fee system under this subsection shall be established in a manner that ensures that fees to qualified entities for background checks do not discourage volunteers from participating in programs to care for children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities. A fee charged to a qualified entity that is not organized under
(f) National criminal history background check and criminal history review program
(1) National criminal history background check
Upon a designated entity receiving notice of a request submitted by a qualified entity pursuant to subsection (a)(3), the designated entity shall forward the request to the Attorney General, who shall, acting through the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, complete a fingerprint-based check of the national criminal history background check system, and provide the information received in response to such national criminal history background check to the appropriate designated entity. The designated entity may, upon request from a qualified entity, complete a check of a State criminal history database.
(2) Criminal history review
(A) Designated entities
The Attorney General shall designate, and enter into an agreement with, one or more entities to make determinations described in subparagraph (B). The Attorney General may not designate and enter into an agreement with a Federal agency under this subparagraph.
(B) Determinations
A designated entity shall, upon the receipt of the information described in paragraph (1), make a determination of fitness described in subsection (b)(4), using the criteria described in subparagraph (C).
(C) Criminal history review criteria
The Attorney General shall, by rule, establish the criteria for use by designated entities in making a determination of fitness described in subsection (b)(4). Such criteria shall be based on the criteria established pursuant to section 108(a)(3)(G)(i) of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The effective date of this subparagraph, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), probably means the date of enactment of
The Civil Rights Act of 1964, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(C)(iv), is
Section 108(a)(3)(G)(i) of the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003, referred to in subsec. (f)(2)(C), is section 108(a)(3)(G)(i) of
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2018—
Subsec. (a)(3).
Subsec. (b)(1)(E).
Subsec. (b)(2).
"(A) to obtain a copy of any background check report; and
"(B) to challenge the accuracy and completeness of any information contained in any such report and obtain a prompt determination as to the validity of such challenge before a final determination is made by the authorized agency;".
Subsec. (b)(3), (4).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e).
Subsec. (f).
1998—Subsec. (a)(3).
Subsec. (b)(5).
1994—Subsec. (a)(1).
Subsec. (b)(1)(E).
Subsec. (b)(4).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Implementation
Pilot Program for National Criminal History Background Checks and Feasibility Study
"(a)
"(1)
"(2)
"(A)
"(B)
"(C)
"(D)
"(E)
"(F)
"(3)
"(A)
"(B)
"(i)
"(I) the Boys and Girls Clubs of America;
"(II) the MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership;
"(III) the National Council of Youth Sports; and
"(IV) any nonprofit organization that provides care, as that term is defined in section 5 of the National Child Protection Act of 1993 (
"(ii)
"(C)
"(D)
"(E)
"(i) forward to the Attorney General the volunteer's fingerprints; and
"(ii) obtain a statement completed and signed by the volunteer that—
"(I) sets out the provider or volunteer's name, address, date of birth appearing on a valid identification document as defined in
"(II) states whether the volunteer has a criminal record, and, if so, sets out the particulars of such record;
"(III) notifies the volunteer that the Attorney General may perform a criminal history background check and that the volunteer's signature to the statement constitutes an acknowledgment that such a check may be conducted;
"(IV) notifies the volunteer that prior to and after the completion of the background check, the organization may choose to deny the provider access to children; and
"(V) notifies the volunteer of his right to correct an erroneous record held by the Attorney General.
"(F)
"(G)
"(i)
"(ii)
"(4)
"(b)
"(1) obtain a copy of their criminal history record report; and
"(2) challenge the accuracy and completeness of the criminal history record information in the report.
"(c)
"(1)
"(2)
"(d)
"(1)
"(A) The current state of fingerprint capture and processing at the State and local level, including the current available infrastructure, State system capacities, and the time for each State to process a civil or volunteer print from the time of capture to submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"(B) The intent of the States concerning participation in a nationwide system of criminal background checks to provide information to qualified entities.
"(C) The number of volunteers, employees, and other individuals that would require a fingerprint-based criminal background check.
"(D) The impact on the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in terms of capacity and impact on other users of the system, including the effect on Federal Bureau of Investigation work practices and staffing levels.
"(E) The current fees charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, States and local agencies, and private companies to process fingerprints and conduct background checks.
"(F) The existence of 'model' or best practice programs which could easily be expanded and duplicated in other States.
"(G) The extent to which private companies are currently performing background checks and the possibility of using private companies in the future to perform any of the background check process, including, but not limited to, the capture and transmission of fingerprints and fitness determinations.
"(H) The cost of development and operation of the technology and the infrastructure necessary to establish a nationwide fingerprint-based and other criminal background check system.
"(I) The extent of State participation in the procedures for background checks authorized in the National Child Protection Act [of 1993] (
"(J) The extent to which States currently provide access to nationwide criminal history background checks to organizations that serve children.
"(K) The extent to which States currently permit volunteers to appeal adverse fitness determinations, and whether similar procedures are required at the Federal level.
"(L) The implementation of the 2 pilot programs created in subsection (a).
"(M) Any privacy concerns that may arise from nationwide criminal background checks.
"(N) Any other information deemed relevant by the Department of Justice.
"(O) The extent of participation by eligible organizations in the state pilot program.
"(2)
"(3)
"(e)
"(1) arising from any act or communication by the Center, the director, officer, employee, or agent that results in or contributes to a decision that an individual is unfit to serve as a volunteer for any volunteer organization;
"(2) alleging harm arising from a decision based on the information in an individual's criminal history record that an individual is fit to serve as a volunteer for any volunteer organization unless the Center, the director, officer, employee, or agent is furnished with an individual's criminal history records which they know to be inaccurate or incomplete, or which they know reflect a lesser crime than that for which the individual was arrested; and
"(3) alleging harm arising from a decision that, based on the absence of criminal history information, an individual is fit to serve as a volunteer for any volunteer organization unless the Center, the director, officer, employee, or agent knows that criminal history records exist and have not been furnished as required under this section."
1 So in original. The word "and" probably should not appear.
2 So in original. Probably should be followed by "and".
§40103. Funding for improvement of child abuse crime information
(a) Omitted
(b) Additional funding grants for improvement of child abuse crime information
(1) The Attorney General shall, subject to appropriations and with preference to States that, as of December 20, 1993, have in computerized criminal history files the lowest percentages of charges and dispositions of identifiable child abuse cases, make a grant to each State to be used—
(A) for the computerization of criminal history files for the purposes of this chapter;
(B) for the improvement of existing computerized criminal history files for the purposes of this chapter;
(C) to improve accessibility to the national criminal history background check system for the purposes of this chapter;
(D) to assist the State in the transmittal of criminal records to, or the indexing of criminal history record in, the national criminal history background check system for the purposes of this chapter; and
(E) to assist the State in paying all or part of the cost to the State of conducting background checks on persons who are employed by or volunteer with a public, not-for-profit, or voluntary qualified entity to reduce the amount of fees charged for such background checks.
(2) There are authorized to be appropriated for grants under paragraph (1) a total of $20,000,000 for fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002.
(c) Withholding State funds
Effective 1 year after December 20, 1993, the Attorney General may reduce, by up to 10 percent, the allocation to a State for a fiscal year under title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 [
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (c), is
Codification
Section is comprised of section 4 of
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (b)(2).
1994—Subsec. (b)(1)(E).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Availability of Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund To Fund Activities Authorized by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and the National Child Protection Act of 1993
For appropriations for amounts authorized in subsec. (b) of this section from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund established by
§40104. Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter—
(1) the term "authorized agency" means a division or office of a State designated by a State to report, receive, or disseminate information under this chapter;
(2) the term "child" means a person who is a child for purposes of the criminal child abuse law of a State;
(3) the term "child abuse crime" means a crime committed under any law of a State that involves the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child by any person;
(4) the term "child abuse crime information" means the following facts concerning a person who has been arrested for, or has been convicted of, a child abuse crime: full name, race, sex, date of birth, height, weight, fingerprints, a brief description of the child abuse crime or offenses for which the person has been arrested or has been convicted, the disposition of the charge, and any other information that the Attorney General determines may be useful in identifying persons arrested for, or convicted of, a child abuse crime;
(5) the term "care" means the provision of care, treatment, education, training, instruction, supervision, or recreation to children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities;
(6) the term "identifiable child abuse crime case" means a case that can be identified by the authorized criminal justice agency of the State as involving a child abuse crime by reference to the statutory citation or descriptive label of the crime as it appears in the criminal history record;
(7) the term "individuals with disabilities" means persons with a mental or physical impairment who require assistance to perform one or more daily living tasks;
(8) the term "national criminal history background check system" means the criminal history record system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation based on fingerprint identification or any other method of positive identification;
(9) the term "covered individual" means an individual—
(A) who has, seeks to have, or may have access to children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities, served by a qualified entity; and
(B) who—
(i) is employed by or volunteers with, or seeks to be employed by or volunteer with, a qualified entity; or
(ii) owns or operates, or seeks to own or operate, a qualified entity;
(10) the term "qualified entity" means a business or organization, whether public, private, for-profit, not-for-profit, or voluntary, that provides care or care placement services, including a business or organization that licenses or certifies others to provide care or care placement services;
(11) the term "State" means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Trust Territories of the Pacific; and
(12) the term "designated entity" means an entity designated by the Attorney General under
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2018—Par. (9).
Par. (12).
2002—Par. (9)(A)(i).
Par. (9)(B)(i).
1994—Par. (5).
Pars. (6), (7).
Par. (8).
Pars. (9) to (11).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2002 Amendment
Amendment by
Executive Documents
Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding
CHAPTER 403 —CRIMINAL JUSTICE IDENTIFICATION, INFORMATION, AND COMMUNICATION
SUBCHAPTER I—CRIME IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
SUBCHAPTER II—EXCHANGE OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS FOR NONCRIMINAL JUSTICE PURPOSES
SUBCHAPTER I—CRIME IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
§40301. State grant program for criminal justice identification, information, and communication
(a) In general
Subject to the availability of amounts provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Office of Justice Programs relying principally on the expertise of the Bureau of Justice Statistics shall make a grant to each State, in a manner consistent with the national criminal history improvement program, which shall be used by the State, in conjunction with units of local government, State and local courts, other States, or combinations thereof, to establish or upgrade an integrated approach to develop information and identification technologies and systems to—
(1) upgrade criminal history and criminal justice record systems, including systems operated by law enforcement agencies and courts;
(2) improve criminal justice identification;
(3) promote compatibility and integration of national, State, and local systems for—
(A) criminal justice purposes;
(B) firearms eligibility determinations;
(C) identification of all individuals who have been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year 1
(D) identification of sexual offenders;
(E) identification of domestic violence offenders; and
(F) background checks for other authorized purposes unrelated to criminal justice; and
(4) capture information for statistical and research purposes to improve the administration of criminal justice.
(b) Use of grant amounts
Grants under this section may be used for programs to establish, develop, update, or upgrade—
(1) State centralized, automated, adult and juvenile criminal history record information systems, including arrest and disposition reporting;
(2) automated fingerprint identification systems that are compatible with standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and interoperable with the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(3) finger imaging, live scan, and other automated systems to digitize fingerprints and to communicate prints in a manner that is compatible with standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and interoperable with systems operated by States and by the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(4) programs and systems to facilitate full participation in the Interstate Identification Index of the National Crime Information Center;
(5) systems to facilitate full participation in any compact relating to the Interstate Identification Index of the National Crime Information Center;
(6) systems to facilitate full participation in the national instant criminal background check system established under
(7) integrated criminal justice information systems to manage and communicate criminal justice information among law enforcement agencies, courts, prosecutors, and corrections agencies;
(8) noncriminal history record information systems relevant to firearms eligibility determinations for availability and accessibility to the national instant criminal background check system established under section 103(b) of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (
(9) court-based criminal justice information systems that promote—
(A) reporting of dispositions to central State repositories and to the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
(B) compatibility with, and integration of, court systems with other criminal justice information systems;
(10) ballistics identification and information programs that are compatible and integrated with the National Integrated Ballistics Network (NIBN);
(11) the capabilities of forensic science programs and medical examiner programs related to the administration of criminal justice, including programs leading to accreditation or certification of individuals or departments, agencies, or laboratories, and programs relating to the identification and analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid;
(12) sexual offender identification and registration systems;
(13) domestic violence offender identification and information systems;
(14) programs for fingerprint-supported background checks capability for noncriminal justice purposes, including youth service employees and volunteers and other individuals in positions of responsibility, if authorized by Federal or State law and administered by a government agency;
(15) criminal justice information systems with a capacity to provide statistical and research products including incident-based reporting systems that are compatible with the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and uniform crime reports;
(16) multiagency, multijurisdictional communications systems among the States to share routine and emergency information among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies;
(17) the capability of the criminal justice system to deliver timely, accurate, and complete criminal history record information to child welfare agencies, organizations, and programs that are engaged in the assessment of risk and other activities related to the protection of children, including protection against child sexual abuse, and placement of children in foster care; and
(18) notwithstanding subsection (c), antiterrorism purposes as they relate to any other uses under this section or for other antiterrorism programs.
(c) Assurances
(1) In general
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State shall provide assurances to the Attorney General that the State has the capability to contribute pertinent information to the national instant criminal background check system established under section 103(b) of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (
(2) Information sharing
Such assurances shall include a provision that ensures that a statewide strategy for information sharing systems is underway, or will be initiated, to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on integration of all criminal justice components, law enforcement, courts, prosecution, corrections, and probation and parole. The strategy shall be prepared after consultation with State and local officials with emphasis on the recommendation of officials whose duty it is to oversee, plan, and implement integrated information technology systems, and shall contain—
(A) a definition and analysis of "integration" in the State and localities developing integrated information sharing systems;
(B) an assessment of the criminal justice resources being devoted to information technology;
(C) Federal, State, regional, and local information technology coordination requirements;
(D) an assurance that the individuals who developed the grant application took into consideration the needs of all branches of the State Government and specifically sought the advice of the chief of the highest court of the State with respect to the application;
(E) State and local resource needs;
(F) the establishment of statewide priorities for planning and implementation of information technology systems; and
(G) a plan for coordinating the programs funded under this subchapter with other federally funded information technology programs, including directly funded local programs such as the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program and the M.O.R.E. program established pursuant to part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 [
(d) Matching funds
The Federal share of a grant received under this subchapter may not exceed 90 percent of the costs of a program or proposal funded under this subchapter unless the State has achieved compliance with an implementation plan under
(e) Authorization of appropriations
(1) In general
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
(2) Limitations
Of the amount made available to carry out this section in any fiscal year—
(A) not more than 3 percent may be used by the Attorney General for salaries and administrative expenses;
(B) not more than 5 percent may be used for technical assistance, training and evaluations, and studies commissioned by Bureau of Justice Statistics of the Department of Justice (through discretionary grants or otherwise) in furtherance of the purposes of this section; and
(C) the Attorney General shall ensure the amounts are distributed on an equitable geographic basis.
(f) Grants to Indian tribes
Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Attorney General may use amounts made available under this section to make grants to Indian tribes for use in accordance with this section.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Section 103(b) of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, referred to in subsecs. (b)(8) and (c)(1), is section 103(b) of
The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (c)(2)(G), is
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (a)(3)(C) to (F).
Subsec. (b)(6).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e)(1).
2006—Subsec. (c)(2)(G).
2001—Subsec. (b)(18).
Subsec. (e)(1).
2000—Subsec. (b)(17).
Subsec. (e)(2)(B) to (D).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2006 Amendment
Amendment by
Short Title
For short title of title I of
1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a semicolon.
2 See References in Text note below.
§40302. Funding for improvement of criminal records
(1) Grants for the improvement of criminal records
The Attorney General, through the Bureau of Justice Statistics, shall, subject to appropriations and with preference to States that, as of March 23, 2018, have the lowest percent currency of case dispositions in computerized criminal history files and that will utilize funding under this subsection to prioritize the identification and transmittal of felony conviction records and domestic violence records, make a grant to each State to be used—
(A) for the creation of a computerized criminal history record system or improvement of an existing system;
(B) to improve accessibility to the national instant criminal background system;
(C) to assist the State in the transmittal of criminal records to the national system; and
(D) to establish and achieve compliance with an implementation plan under
(2) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated for grants under paragraph (1) a total of $200,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 and all fiscal years thereafter.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section is comprised of subsec. (b) of section 106 of
Section was enacted as part of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act and not as part of the Crime Identification Technology Act of 1998 which comprises this subchapter.
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2018—Par. (1).
Par. (1)(C).
Par. (1)(D).
1996—Par. (2).
1994—Par. (2).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
SUBCHAPTER II—EXCHANGE OF CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS FOR NONCRIMINAL JUSTICE PURPOSES
§40311. Findings
Congress finds that—
(1) both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and State criminal history record repositories maintain fingerprint-based criminal history records;
(2) these criminal history records are shared and exchanged for criminal justice purposes through a Federal-State program known as the Interstate Identification Index System;
(3) although these records are also exchanged for legally authorized, noncriminal justice uses, such as governmental licensing and employment background checks, the purposes for and procedures by which they are exchanged vary widely from State to State;
(4) an interstate and Federal-State compact is necessary to facilitate authorized interstate criminal history record exchanges for noncriminal justice purposes on a uniform basis, while permitting each State to effectuate its own dissemination policy within its own borders; and
(5) such a compact will allow Federal and State records to be provided expeditiously to governmental and nongovernmental agencies that use such records in accordance with pertinent Federal and State law, while simultaneously enhancing the accuracy of the records and safeguarding the information contained therein from unauthorized disclosure or use.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title
For short title of subtitle A of title II of
§40312. Definitions
In this subchapter:
(1) Attorney General
The term "Attorney General" means the Attorney General of the United States.
(2) Compact
The term "Compact" means the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact set forth in
(3) Council
The term "Council" means the Compact Council established under Article VI of the Compact.
(4) FBI
The term "FBI" means the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(5) Party State
The term "Party State" means a State that has ratified the Compact.
(6) State
The term "State" means any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40313. Enactment and consent of the United States
The National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact, as set forth in
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40314. Effect on other laws
(a) Privacy Act of 1974
Nothing in the Compact shall affect the obligations and responsibilities of the FBI under
(b) Access to certain records not affected
Nothing in the Compact shall interfere in any manner with—
(1) access, direct or otherwise, to records pursuant to—
(A)
(B) the National Child Protection Act 1 [
(C) the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (
(D) the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (
(E) the United States Housing Act of 1937 (
(F) the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (
(2) any direct access to Federal criminal history records authorized by law.
(c) Authority of FBI under Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973
Nothing in the Compact shall be construed to affect the authority of the FBI under the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973 (
(d) Chapter 10 of title 5
The Council shall not be considered to be a Federal advisory committee for purposes of
(e) Members of Council not Federal officers or employees
Members of the Council (other than a member from the FBI or any at-large member who may be a Federal official or employee) shall not, by virtue of such membership, be deemed—
(1) to be, for any purpose other than to effect the Compact, officers or employees of the United States (as defined in
(2) to become entitled by reason of Council membership to any compensation or benefit payable or made available by the Federal Government to its officers or employees.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Privacy Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (a), is
The National Child Protection Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(B), probably means the National Child Protection Act of 1993,
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(C), is title I of
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(D), is
The United States Housing Act of 1937, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(E), is act Sept. 1, 1937, ch. 896, as revised generally by
The Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(F), is
The Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973, referred to in subsec. (c), is
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (d).
1 See References in Text note below.
§40315. Enforcement and implementation
All departments, agencies, officers, and employees of the United States shall enforce the Compact and cooperate with one another and with all Party States in enforcing the Compact and effectuating its purposes. For the Federal Government, the Attorney General shall make such rules, prescribe such instructions, and take such other actions as may be necessary to carry out the Compact and this subchapter.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40316. National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact
The Contracting Parties agree to the following:
Overview
(a) In general
This Compact organizes an electronic information sharing system among the Federal Government and the States to exchange criminal history records for noncriminal justice purposes authorized by Federal or State law, such as background checks for governmental licensing and employment.
(b) Obligations of parties
Under this Compact, the FBI and the Party States agree to maintain detailed databases of their respective criminal history records, including arrests and dispositions, and to make them available to the Federal Government and to Party States for authorized purposes. The FBI shall also manage the Federal data facilities that provide a significant part of the infrastructure for the system.
ARTICLE I—DEFINITIONS
In this Compact:
(1) Attorney General
The term "Attorney General" means the Attorney General of the United States.
(2) Compact officer
The term "Compact officer" means—
(A) with respect to the Federal Government, an official so designated by the Director of the FBI; and
(B) with respect to a Party State, the chief administrator of the State's criminal history record repository or a designee of the chief administrator who is a regular full-time employee of the repository.
(3) Council
The term "Council" means the Compact Council established under Article VI.
(4) Criminal history records
The term "criminal history records"—
(A) means information collected by criminal justice agencies on individuals consisting of identifiable descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, or other formal criminal charges, and any disposition arising therefrom, including acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, or release; and
(B) does not include identification information such as fingerprint records if such information does not indicate involvement of the individual with the criminal justice system.
(5) Criminal history record repository
The term "criminal history record repository" means the State agency designated by the Governor or other appropriate executive official or the legislature of a State to perform centralized recordkeeping functions for criminal history records and services in the State.
(6) Criminal justice
The term "criminal justice" includes activities relating to the detection, apprehension, detention, pretrial release, post-trial release, prosecution, adjudication, correctional supervision, or rehabilitation of accused persons or criminal offenders. The administration of criminal justice includes criminal identification activities and the collection, storage, and dissemination of criminal history records.
(7) Criminal justice agency
The term "criminal justice agency"—
(A) means—
(i) courts; and
(ii) a governmental agency or any subunit thereof that—
(I) performs the administration of criminal justice pursuant to a statute or Executive order; and
(II) allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the administration of criminal justice; and
(B) includes Federal and State inspectors general offices.
(8) Criminal justice services
The term "criminal justice services" means services provided by the FBI to criminal justice agencies in response to a request for information about a particular individual or as an update to information previously provided for criminal justice purposes.
(9) Criterion offense
The term "criterion offense" means any felony or misdemeanor offense not included on the list of nonserious offenses published periodically by the FBI.
(10) Direct access
The term "direct access" means access to the National Identification Index by computer terminal or other automated means not requiring the assistance of or intervention by any other party or agency.
(11) Executive order
The term "Executive order" means an order of the President of the United States or the chief executive officer of a State that has the force of law and that is promulgated in accordance with applicable law.
(12) FBI
The term "FBI" means the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(13) Interstate Identification System 1
The term "Interstate Identification Index System" or "III System"—
(A) means the cooperative Federal-State system for the exchange of criminal history records; and
(B) includes the National Identification Index, the National Fingerprint File and, to the extent of their participation in such system, the criminal history record repositories of the States and the FBI.
(14) National Fingerprint File
The term "National Fingerprint File" means a database of fingerprints, or other uniquely personal identifying information, relating to an arrested or charged individual maintained by the FBI to provide positive identification of record subjects indexed in the III System.
(15) National Identification Index
The term "National Identification Index" means an index maintained by the FBI consisting of names, identifying numbers, and other descriptive information relating to record subjects about whom there are criminal history records in the III System.
(16) National indices
The term "National indices" means the National Identification Index and the National Fingerprint File.
(17) Nonparty State
The term "Nonparty State" means a State that has not ratified this Compact.
(18) Noncriminal justice purposes
The term "noncriminal justice purposes" means uses of criminal history records for purposes authorized by Federal or State law other than purposes relating to criminal justice activities, including employment suitability, licensing determinations, immigration and naturalization matters, and national security clearances.
(19) Party State
The term "Party State" means a State that has ratified this Compact.
(20) Positive identification
The term "positive identification" means a determination, based upon a comparison of fingerprints or other equally reliable biometric identification techniques, that the subject of a record search is the same person as the subject of a criminal history record or records indexed in the III System. Identifications based solely upon a comparison of subjects' names or other nonunique identification characteristics or numbers, or combinations thereof, shall not constitute positive identification.
(21) Sealed record information
The term "sealed record information" means—
(A) with respect to adults, that portion of a record that is—
(i) not available for criminal justice uses;
(ii) not supported by fingerprints or other accepted means of positive identification; or
(iii) subject to restrictions on dissemination for noncriminal justice purposes pursuant to a court order related to a particular subject or pursuant to a Federal or State statute that requires action on a sealing petition filed by a particular record subject; and
(B) with respect to juveniles, whatever each State determines is a sealed record under its own law and procedure.
(22) State
The term "State" means any State, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
ARTICLE II—PURPOSES
The purposes of this Compact are to—
(1) provide a legal framework for the establishment of a cooperative Federal-State system for the interstate and Federal-State exchange of criminal history records for noncriminal justice uses;
(2) require the FBI to permit use of the National Identification Index and the National Fingerprint File by each Party State, and to provide, in a timely fashion, Federal and State criminal history records to requesting States, in accordance with the terms of this Compact and with rules, procedures, and standards established by the Council under Article VI;
(3) require Party States to provide information and records for the National Identification Index and the National Fingerprint File and to provide criminal history records, in a timely fashion, to criminal history record repositories of other States and the Federal Government for noncriminal justice purposes, in accordance with the terms of this Compact and with rules, procedures, and standards established by the Council under Article VI;
(4) provide for the establishment of a Council to monitor III System operations and to prescribe system rules and procedures for the effective and proper operation of the III System for noncriminal justice purposes; and
(5) require the FBI and each Party State to adhere to III System standards concerning record dissemination and use, response times, system security, data quality, and other duly established standards, including those that enhance the accuracy and privacy of such records.
ARTICLE III—RESPONSIBILITIES OF COMPACT PARTIES
(a) FBI responsibilities
The Director of the FBI shall—
(1) appoint an FBI Compact officer who shall—
(A) administer this Compact within the Department of Justice and among Federal agencies and other agencies and organizations that submit search requests to the FBI pursuant to Article V(c);
(B) ensure that Compact provisions and rules, procedures, and standards prescribed by the Council under Article VI are complied with by the Department of Justice and the Federal agencies and other agencies and organizations referred to in Article III(1)(A); and
(C) regulate the use of records received by means of the III System from Party States when such records are supplied by the FBI directly to other Federal agencies;
(2) provide to Federal agencies and to State criminal history record repositories, criminal history records maintained in its database for the noncriminal justice purposes described in Article IV, including—
(A) information from Nonparty States; and
(B) information from Party States that is available from the FBI through the III System, but is not available from the Party State through the III System;
(3) provide a telecommunications network and maintain centralized facilities for the exchange of criminal history records for both criminal justice purposes and the noncriminal justice purposes described in Article IV, and ensure that the exchange of such records for criminal justice purposes has priority over exchange for noncriminal justice purposes; and
(4) modify or enter into user agreements with Nonparty State criminal history record repositories to require them to establish record request procedures conforming to those prescribed in Article V.
(b) State responsibilities
Each Party State shall—
(1) appoint a Compact officer who shall—
(A) administer this Compact within that State;
(B) ensure that Compact provisions and rules, procedures, and standards established by the Council under Article VI are complied with in the State; and
(C) regulate the in-State use of records received by means of the III System from the FBI or from other Party States;
(2) establish and maintain a criminal history record repository, which shall provide—
(A) information and records for the National Identification Index and the National Fingerprint File; and
(B) the State's III System-indexed criminal history records for noncriminal justice purposes described in Article IV;
(3) participate in the National Fingerprint File; and
(4) provide and maintain telecommunications links and related equipment necessary to support the services set forth in this Compact.
(c) Compliance with III System standards
In carrying out their responsibilities under this Compact, the FBI and each Party State shall comply with III System rules, procedures, and standards duly established by the Council concerning record dissemination and use, response times, data quality, system security, accuracy, privacy protection, and other aspects of III System operation.
(d) Maintenance of record services
(1) Use of the III System for noncriminal justice purposes authorized in this Compact shall be managed so as not to diminish the level of services provided in support of criminal justice purposes.
(2) Administration of Compact provisions shall not reduce the level of service available to authorized noncriminal justice users on the effective date of this Compact.
ARTICLE IV—AUTHORIZED RECORD DISCLOSURES
(a) State criminal history record repositories
To the extent authorized by
(b) Criminal justice agencies and other governmental or nongovernmental agencies
The FBI, to the extent authorized by
(c) Procedures
Any record obtained under this Compact may be used only for the official purposes for which the record was requested. Each Compact officer shall establish procedures, consistent with this Compact, and with rules, procedures, and standards established by the Council under Article VI, which procedures shall protect the accuracy and privacy of the records, and shall—
(1) ensure that records obtained under this Compact are used only by authorized officials for authorized purposes;
(2) require that subsequent record checks are requested to obtain current information whenever a new need arises; and
(3) ensure that record entries that may not legally be used for a particular noncriminal justice purpose are deleted from the response and, if no information authorized for release remains, an appropriate "no record" response is communicated to the requesting official.
ARTICLE V—RECORD REQUEST PROCEDURES
(a) Positive identification
Subject fingerprints or other approved forms of positive identification shall be submitted with all requests for criminal history record checks for noncriminal justice purposes.
(b) Submission of State requests
Each request for a criminal history record check utilizing the national indices made under any approved State statute shall be submitted through that State's criminal history record repository. A State criminal history record repository shall process an interstate request for noncriminal justice purposes through the national indices only if such request is transmitted through another State criminal history record repository or the FBI.
(c) Submission of Federal requests
Each request for criminal history record checks utilizing the national indices made under Federal authority shall be submitted through the FBI or, if the State criminal history record repository consents to process fingerprint submissions, through the criminal history record repository in the State in which such request originated. Direct access to the National Identification Index by entities other than the FBI and State criminal history records repositories shall not be permitted for noncriminal justice purposes.
(d) Fees
A State criminal history record repository or the FBI—
(1) may charge a fee, in accordance with applicable law, for handling a request involving fingerprint processing for noncriminal justice purposes; and
(2) may not charge a fee for providing criminal history records in response to an electronic request for a record that does not involve a request to process fingerprints.
(e) Additional search
(1) If a State criminal history record repository cannot positively identify the subject of a record request made for noncriminal justice purposes, the request, together with fingerprints or other approved identifying information, shall be forwarded to the FBI for a search of the national indices.
(2) If, with respect to a request forwarded by a State criminal history record repository under paragraph (1), the FBI positively identifies the subject as having a III System-indexed record or records—
(A) the FBI shall so advise the State criminal history record repository; and
(B) the State criminal history record repository shall be entitled to obtain the additional criminal history record information from the FBI or other State criminal history record repositories.
ARTICLE VI—ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPACT COUNCIL
(a) Establishment
(1) In general
There is established a council to be known as the "Compact Council", which shall have the authority to promulgate rules and procedures governing the use of the III System for noncriminal justice purposes, not to conflict with FBI administration of the III System for criminal justice purposes.
(2) Organization
The Council shall—
(A) continue in existence as long as this Compact remains in effect;
(B) be located, for administrative purposes, within the FBI; and
(C) be organized and hold its first meeting as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Compact.
(b) Membership
The Council shall be composed of 15 members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Attorney General, as follows:
(1) Nine members, each of whom shall serve a 2-year term, who shall be selected from among the Compact officers of Party States based on the recommendation of the Compact officers of all Party States, except that, in the absence of the requisite number of Compact officers available to serve, the chief administrators of the criminal history record repositories of Nonparty States shall be eligible to serve on an interim basis.
(2) Two at-large members, nominated by the Director of the FBI, each of whom shall serve a 3-year term, of whom—
(A) 1 shall be a representative of the criminal justice agencies of the Federal Government and may not be an employee of the FBI; and
(B) 1 shall be a representative of the noncriminal justice agencies of the Federal Government.
(3) Two at-large members, nominated by the Chairman of the Council, once the Chairman is elected pursuant to Article VI(c), each of whom shall serve a 3-year term, of whom—
(A) 1 shall be a representative of State or local criminal justice agencies; and
(B) 1 shall be a representative of State or local noncriminal justice agencies.
(4) One member, who shall serve a 3-year term, and who shall simultaneously be a member of the FBI's advisory policy board on criminal justice information services, nominated by the membership of that policy board.
(5) One member, nominated by the Director of the FBI, who shall serve a 3-year term, and who shall be an employee of the FBI.
(c) Chairman and Vice Chairman
(1) In general
From its membership, the Council shall elect a Chairman and a Vice Chairman of the Council, respectively. Both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council—
(A) shall be a Compact officer, unless there is no Compact officer on the Council who is willing to serve, in which case the Chairman may be an at-large member; and
(B) shall serve a 2-year term and may be reelected to only 1 additional 2-year term.
(2) Duties of Vice Chairman
The Vice Chairman of the Council shall serve as the Chairman of the Council in the absence of the Chairman.
(d) Meetings
(1) In general
The Council shall meet at least once each year at the call of the Chairman. Each meeting of the Council shall be open to the public. The Council shall provide prior public notice in the Federal Register of each meeting of the Council, including the matters to be addressed at such meeting.
(2) Quorum
A majority of the Council or any committee of the Council shall constitute a quorum of the Council or of such committee, respectively, for the conduct of business. A lesser number may meet to hold hearings, take testimony, or conduct any business not requiring a vote.
(e) Rules, procedures, and standards
The Council shall make available for public inspection and copying at the Council office within the FBI, and shall publish in the Federal Register, any rules, procedures, or standards established by the Council.
(f) Assistance from FBI
The Council may request from the FBI such reports, studies, statistics, or other information or materials as the Council determines to be necessary to enable the Council to perform its duties under this Compact. The FBI, to the extent authorized by law, may provide such assistance or information upon such a request.
(g) Committees
The Chairman may establish committees as necessary to carry out this Compact and may prescribe their membership, responsibilities, and duration.
ARTICLE VII—RATIFICATION OF COMPACT
This Compact shall take effect upon being entered into by 2 or more States as between those States and the Federal Government. Upon subsequent entering into this Compact by additional States, it shall become effective among those States and the Federal Government and each Party State that has previously ratified it. When ratified, this Compact shall have the full force and effect of law within the ratifying jurisdictions. The form of ratification shall be in accordance with the laws of the executing State.
ARTICLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
(a) Relation of Compact to certain FBI activities
Administration of this Compact shall not interfere with the management and control of the Director of the FBI over the FBI's collection and dissemination of criminal history records and the advisory function of the FBI's advisory policy board chartered under
(b) No authority for nonappropriated expenditures
Nothing in this Compact shall require the FBI to obligate or expend funds beyond those appropriated to the FBI.
(c) Relating to Public Law 92–544
Nothing in this Compact shall diminish or lessen the obligations, responsibilities, and authorities of any State, whether a Party State or a Nonparty State, or of any criminal history record repository or other subdivision or component thereof, under the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973 (
ARTICLE IX—RENUNCIATION
(a) In general
This Compact shall bind each Party State until renounced by the Party State.
(b) Effect
Any renunciation of this Compact by a Party State shall—
(1) be effected in the same manner by which the Party State ratified this Compact; and
(2) become effective 180 days after written notice of renunciation is provided by the Party State to each other Party State and to the Federal Government.
ARTICLE X—SEVERABILITY
The provisions of this Compact shall be severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this Compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any participating State, or to the Constitution of the United States, or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this Compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If a portion of this Compact is held contrary to the constitution of any Party State, all other portions of this Compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining Party States and in full force and effect as to the Party State affected, as to all other provisions.
ARTICLE XI—ADJUDICATION OF DISPUTES
(a) In general
The Council shall—
(1) have initial authority to make determinations with respect to any dispute regarding—
(A) interpretation of this Compact;
(B) any rule or standard established by the Council pursuant to Article V; and
(C) any dispute or controversy between any parties to this Compact; and
(2) hold a hearing concerning any dispute described in paragraph (1) at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Council and only render a decision based upon a majority vote of the members of the Council. Such decision shall be published pursuant to the requirements of Article VI(e).
(b) Duties of FBI
The FBI shall exercise immediate and necessary action to preserve the integrity of the III System, maintain system policy and standards, protect the accuracy and privacy of records, and to prevent abuses, until the Council holds a hearing on such matters.
(c) Right of appeal
The FBI or a Party State may appeal any decision of the Council to the Attorney General, and thereafter may file suit in the appropriate district court of the United States, which shall have original jurisdiction of all cases or controversies arising under this Compact. Any suit arising under this Compact and initiated in a State court shall be removed to the appropriate district court of the United States in the manner provided by
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Privacy Act of 1974, referred to in Art. IV(a), (b), is
The Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973, referred to in Art. VIII(c), is
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2022—Art. VIII(a).
1 So in original. Probably should be "Interstate Identification Index System".
CHAPTER 405 —REPORTING OF UNIDENTIFIED AND MISSING PERSONS
§40501. Program authorized
(a) In general
(1) Grants authorized
The Attorney General may award grants to eligible entities described in paragraph (2) to enable the eligible entities to improve the transportation, processing, identification, and reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains, including migrants.
(2) Eligible entities
Eligible entities described in this paragraph are the following:
(A) States and units of local government.
(B) Accredited, publicly funded, Combined DNA Index System (commonly known as "CODIS") forensic laboratories, which demonstrate the grant funds will be used for DNA typing and uploading biological family DNA reference samples, including samples from foreign nationals, into CODIS, subject to the protocols for inclusion of such forensic DNA profiles into CODIS, and the privacy protections required under
(C) Medical examiners offices.
(D) Accredited, publicly funded toxicology laboratories.
(E) Accredited, publicly funded crime laboratories.
(F) Publicly funded university forensic anthropology laboratories.
(G) Nonprofit organizations that have working collaborative agreements with State and county forensic offices, including medical examiners, coroners, and justices of the peace, for entry of data into CODIS or the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (commonly known as "NamUs"), or both.
(
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 40501,
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title
For short title of title II of
§40502. Eligibility
(a) Application
To be eligible to receive a grant award under this chapter, an entity described in
(b) Contents
Each such application shall include assurances that the applicant shall, to the greatest extent possible—
(1) report to the National Crime Information Center and, when possible, to law enforcement authorities throughout the applicant's jurisdiction regarding every deceased unidentified person, regardless of age, found in the applicant's jurisdiction;
(2) enter a complete profile of such unidentified person in compliance with the guidelines established by the Department of Justice for the National Crime Information Center Missing and Unidentified Persons File, including dental records, DNA records, x-rays, and fingerprints, if available;
(3) enter the National Crime Information Center number or other appropriate number assigned to the unidentified person on the death certificate of each such unidentified person;
(4) retain all such records pertaining to unidentified persons until a person is identified; and
(5) collect and report information to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) regarding missing persons and unidentified remains.
(c) Privacy protections for biological family reference samples
(1) In general
Any suspected biological family DNA reference samples received from citizens of the United States or foreign nationals and uploaded into the Combined DNA Index System (commonly referred to as "CODIS") by an accredited, publicly funded CODIS forensic laboratory awarded a grant under this section may be used only for identifying missing persons and unidentified remains.
(2) Limitation on use
Any biological family DNA reference samples from citizens of the United States or foreign nationals entered into CODIS for purposes of identifying missing persons and unidentified remains may not be disclosed to a Federal or State law enforcement agency for law enforcement purposes.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2020—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (b)(1).
Subsec. (b)(5).
Subsec. (c).
§40503. Use of funds
An applicant receiving a grant award under this chapter may use such funds to—
(1) pay for the costs incurred during or after fiscal year 2017 for the transportation, processing, identification, and reporting of missing persons and unidentified remains, including migrants;
(2) establish and expand programs developed to improve the reporting of unidentified persons in accordance with the assurances provided in the application submitted pursuant to
(3) hire and maintain additional DNA case analysts and technicians, fingerprint examiners, forensic odontologists, and forensic anthropologists, needed to support such identification programs; and
(4) procure and maintain state of the art multi-modal, multi-purpose forensic and DNA-typing and analytical equipment.
(
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 40503,
§40504. Grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults
(a) In general
The Attorney General may make grants to public agencies or nonprofit private organizations, or combinations thereof, for programs—
(1) to assist law enforcement and families in locating missing adults;
(2) to maintain a national, interconnected database for the purpose of tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown;
(3) to maintain statistical information of adults reported as missing;
(4) to provide informational resources and referrals to families of missing adults;
(5) to assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults; and
(6) to establish and maintain a national clearinghouse for missing adults.
(b) Regulations
The Attorney General may make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out this title.1
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This title, referred to in subsec. (b), is title I of
Codification
Section was enacted as part of Kristen's Act, and not as part of Jennifer's Law which comprises this chapter.
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Authorization of Funding
1 See References in Text note below.
§40505. Reporting on National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) Program
Not later than 18 months after December 31, 2020, and every year thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress regarding—
(1) the number of unidentified person cases processed;
(2) CODIS associations and identifications;
(3) the number of anthropology cases processed;
(4) the number of suspected border crossing cases and associations made;
(5) the number of trials supported with expert testimony;
(6) the number of students trained and professions of those students; and
(7) the turnaround time and backlog.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was enacted as part of the Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act of 2019, and not as part of Jennifer's Law which comprises this chapter.
§40506. Authorization of the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System
(a) In general
The Attorney General,1 shall maintain the "National Missing and Unidentified Persons System" or "NamUs", consistent with the following:
(1) The NamUs shall be a national information clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases across the United States administered by the National Institute of Justice and managed through an agreement with an eligible entity.
(2) The NamUs shall coordinate or provide—
(A) online database technology which serves as a national information clearinghouse to help expedite case associations and resolutions;
(B) various free-of-charge forensic services to aid in the identification of missing persons and unidentified remains;
(C) investigative support for criminal justice efforts to help missing and unidentified person case resolutions;
(D) technical assistance for family members of missing persons;
(E) assistance and training by coordinating State and local service providers in order to support individuals and families impacted by the loss or disappearance of a loved one; and
(F) training and outreach from NamUs subject matter experts, including assistance with planning and facilitating Missing Person Day events across the country.
(b) Permissible use of funds
(1) In general
The permissible use of funds awarded under this section for the implementation and maintenance of the agreement created in subparagraph (a)(1) include the use of funds—
(A) to hire additional personnel to provide case support and perform other core NamUs functions;
(B) to develop new technologies to facilitate timely data entry into the relevant data bases;
(C) to conduct contracting activities relevant to core NamUs services;
(D) to provide forensic analyses to support the identification of missing and unidentified persons, to include, but not limited to DNA typing, forensic odontology, fingerprint examination, and forensic anthropology;
(E) to train State, local, and Tribal law enforcement personnel and forensic medicine service providers to use NamUs resources and best practices for the investigation of missing and unidentified person cases;
(F) to assist States in providing information to the NCIC database, the NamUs database, or any future database system for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed person cases;
(G) to report to law enforcement authorities in the jurisdiction in which the remains were found information on every deceased, unidentified person, regardless of age;
(H) to participate in Missing Person Days and other events to directly support family members of the missing with NamUs case entries and DNA collections;
(I) to provide assistance and training by coordinating State and local service providers in order to support individuals and families;
(J) to conduct data analytics and research projects for the purpose of enhancing knowledge, best practices, and training related to missing and unidentified person cases, as well as developing NamUs system enhancements;
(K) to create and maintain a secure, online, nationwide critical incident response tool for professionals that will connect law enforcement, medico-legal and emergency management professionals, as well as victims and families during a critical incident; and
(L) for other purposes consistent with the goals of this section.
(c) Amendments to the Crime Control Act of 1990 to require reports of missing children to NamUs
(1), (2) Omitted
(3) Effective date
The amendments made by this subsection shall apply with respect to reports made before, on, or after December 27, 2022.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
For the amendments made by this subsection, referred to in subsec. (c)(3), see Codification note below.
Codification
Section is comprised of section 2 of
Section was enacted as part of Billy's Law, also known as the Help Find the Missing Act, and not as part of Jennifer's Law which comprises this chapter.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Definitions
"In this Act [see section 1 of
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
"(4)
"(5)
"(6)
"(7)
"(8)
1 So in original. The comma probably should not appear.
§40507. Information sharing
(a) Access to NCIC
Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2022, the Attorney General shall, in accordance with this section, provide access to the NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Files to the National Institute of Justice or its designee administering the NamUs program as a grantee or contractor, for the purpose of reviewing missing and unidentified person records in NCIC for case validation and NamUs data reconciliation.
(b) Electronic data sharing
Not later than 6 months after December 27, 2022, the Attorney General shall, in accordance with this section, have completed an assessment of the NCIC and NamUs system architectures and governing statutes, policies, and procedures and provide a proposed plan for the secure and automatic data transmission of missing and unidentified person records that are reported to and entered into the NCIC database, with the following criteria, to be electronically transmitted to the NamUs system.
(1) Missing Person cases with an MNP (Missing Person) code of CA (Child Abduction) or AA (Amber Alert) within 72 hours of entry into NCIC;
(2) Missing Person cases with an MNP code EME (Endangered) or EMI (Involuntary) within 30 days of entry into NCIC;
(3) All other Missing Person cases that have been active (non-cancelled) in NCIC for 180 days;
(4) Unidentified person cases that have been active (non-cancelled) in NCIC for 60 days;
(5) Once case data are transmitted to NamUs, cases are marked as such within NCIC, and any updates to such cases will be transmitted to NamUs within 24 hours.
(c) Rules on confidentiality
(1) In general
Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2022, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of the FBI, shall promulgate rules pursuant to notice and comment that specify the information the Attorney General may allow NamUs to access from the NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person files or be transmitted from the NCIC database to the NamUs databases for purposes of this Act. Such rules shall—
(A) provide for the protection of confidential, private, and law enforcement sensitive information contained in the NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person files; and
(B) specify the circumstances in which access to portions of information in the Missing Person and Unidentified Person files may be withheld from the NamUs databases.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is
Codification
Section was enacted as part of Billy's Law, also known as the Help Find the Missing Act, and not as part of Jennifer's Law which comprises this chapter.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Definitions
For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 6 of
§40508. Report to Congress
(a) In general
Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2022, and biennially thereafter, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report describing the status of the NCIC database and NamUs databases.
(b) Contents
The report required by subsection (a) shall describe, to the extent available, information on the process of information sharing between the NCIC database and NamUs databases.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was enacted as part of Billy's Law, also known as the Help Find the Missing Act, and not as part of Jennifer's Law which comprises this chapter.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Definitions
For definitions of "NCIC database" and "NamUs databases" as used in this section, see section 6 of
CHAPTER 407 —DNA IDENTIFICATION
SUBCHAPTER I—COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES
SUBCHAPTER II—TRAINING, TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH, AND EXPANDED USE
SUBCHAPTER III—DNA ARRESTEE COLLECTION PROCESSES
SUBCHAPTER I—COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES
§40701. The Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program
(a) Authorization of grants
The Attorney General may make grants to eligible States or units of local government for use by the State or unit of local government for the following purposes:
(1) To carry out, for inclusion in the Combined DNA Index System of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DNA analyses of samples collected under applicable legal authority.
(2) To carry out, for inclusion in such Combined DNA Index System, DNA analyses of samples from crime scenes, prioritizing, to the extent practicable consistent with public safety considerations 1 samples from rape kits, samples from other sexual assault evidence, and samples taken in cases without an identified suspect.
(3) To increase the capacity of laboratories owned by the State or by units of local government to carry out DNA analyses of samples specified in paragraph (1) or (2).
(4) To collect DNA samples specified in paragraph (1).
(5) To ensure that DNA testing and analysis of samples from crimes, including sexual assault and other serious violent crimes, are carried out in a timely manner.
(6) Repealed.
(7) To conduct an audit consistent with subsection (n) of the samples of sexual assault evidence that are in the possession of the State or unit of local government and are awaiting testing.
(8) To ensure that the collection and processing of DNA evidence by law enforcement agencies from crimes, in particular, sexual assault and other violent crimes against persons, is carried out in an appropriate and timely manner and in accordance with the protocols and practices developed under subsection (o)(1).
(9) To increase the capacity of State and local prosecution offices to address the backlog of violent crime cases in which suspects have been identified through DNA evidence.
(b) Eligibility
For a State or unit of local government to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, the chief executive officer of the State or unit of local government shall submit to the Attorney General an application in such form and containing such information as the Attorney General may require. The application shall, as required by the Attorney General—
(1) provide assurances that the State or unit of local government has implemented, or will implement not later than 120 days after the date of such application, a comprehensive plan for the expeditious DNA analysis of samples in accordance with this section;
(2) include a certification that each DNA analysis carried out under the plan shall be maintained pursuant to the privacy requirements described in
(3) include a certification that the State or unit of local government has determined, by statute, rule, or regulation, those offenses under State law that shall be treated for purposes of this section as qualifying State offenses;
(4) specify the allocation that the State or unit of local government shall make, in using grant amounts to carry out DNA analyses of samples, as between samples specified in subsection (a)(1) and samples specified in subsection (a)(2);
(5) specify that portion of grant amounts that the State or unit of local government shall use for the purpose specified in subsection (a)(3);
(6) if submitted by a unit of local government, certify that the unit of local government has taken, or is taking, all necessary steps to ensure that it is eligible to include, directly or through a State law enforcement agency, all analyses of samples for which it has requested funding in the Combined DNA Index System;
(7) specify that portion of grant amounts that the State or unit of local government shall use for the purpose specified in subsection (a)(4); and
(8) provide assurances that the DNA section of the laboratory to be used to conduct DNA analyses has a written policy that prioritizes the analysis of, to the extent practicable consistent with public safety considerations, samples from homicides and sexual assaults.
(c) Formula for distribution of grants
(1) In general
The Attorney General shall distribute grant amounts, and establish appropriate grant conditions under this section, in conformity with a formula or formulas that are designed to effectuate a distribution of funds among eligible States and units of local government that—
(A) maximizes the effective utilization of DNA technology to solve crimes and protect public safety; and
(B) allocates grants among eligible entities fairly and efficiently to address jurisdictions in which significant backlogs exist, by considering—
(i) the number of offender and casework samples awaiting DNA analysis in a jurisdiction;
(ii) the population in the jurisdiction; and
(iii) the number of part 1 violent crimes in the jurisdiction.
(2) Minimum amount
The Attorney General shall allocate to each State not less than 0.50 percent of the total amount appropriated in a fiscal year for grants under this section, except that the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allocated 0.125 percent of the total appropriation.
(3) Limitation
Grant amounts distributed under paragraph (1) shall be awarded to conduct DNA analyses of samples from casework or from victims of crime under subsection (a)(2) in accordance with the following limitations:
(A) For fiscal year 2009, not less than 40 percent of the grant amounts shall be awarded for purposes under subsection (a)(2).
(B) For each of the fiscal years 2019 through 2024, not less than 40 percent of the grant amounts shall be awarded for purposes under subsection (a)(2).
(C) For each of fiscal years 2019 through 2024, not less than 75 percent of the total grant amounts shall be awarded for a combination of purposes under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subsection (a).
(4) Allocation of grant awards for audits
For each of fiscal years 2014 through 2022, not less than 5 percent, but not more than 7 percent, of the grant amounts distributed under paragraph (1) shall, if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, be awarded for purposes described in subsection (a)(7), provided that none of the funds required to be distributed under this paragraph shall decrease or otherwise limit the availability of funds required to be awarded to States or units of local government under paragraph (3).
(5) Allocation of grant awards for prosecutors
For each fiscal year, not less than 5 percent, but not more than 7 percent, of the grant amounts distributed under paragraph (1) shall, if sufficient applications to justify such amounts are received by the Attorney General, be awarded for purposes described in subsection (a)(9), provided that none of the funds required to be distributed under this paragraph shall decrease or otherwise limit the availability of funds required to be awarded to States or units of local government under paragraph (3).
(d) Analysis of samples
(1) In general
A plan pursuant to subsection (b)(1) shall require that, except as provided in paragraph (3), each DNA analysis be carried out in a laboratory that satisfies quality assurance standards and is—
(A) operated by the State or a unit of local government; or
(B) operated by a private entity pursuant to a contract with the State or a unit of local government.
(2) Quality assurance standards
(A) The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall maintain and make available to States and units of local government a description of quality assurance protocols and practices that the Director considers adequate to assure the quality of a forensic laboratory.
(B) For purposes of this section, a laboratory satisfies quality assurance standards if the laboratory satisfies the quality control requirements described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of
(3) Use of vouchers or contracts for certain purposes
(A) In general
A grant for the purposes specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (5) of subsection (a) may be made in the form of a voucher or contract for laboratory services, even if the laboratory makes a reasonable profit for the services.
(B) Redemption
A voucher or contract under subparagraph (A) may be redeemed at a laboratory operated on a nonprofit or for-profit basis, by a private entity that satisfies quality assurance standards and has been approved by the Attorney General.
(C) Payments
The Attorney General may use amounts authorized under subsection (j) to make payments to a laboratory described under subparagraph (B).
(e) Restrictions on use of funds
(1) Nonsupplanting
Funds made available pursuant to this section shall not be used to supplant State or local government funds, but shall be used to increase the amount of funds that would, in the absence of Federal funds, be made available from State or local government sources for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Administrative costs
A State or unit of local government may not use more than 3 percent of the funds it receives from this section for administrative expenses.
(f) Reports to the Attorney General
Each State or unit of local government which receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Attorney General, for each year in which funds from a grant received under this section is expended, a report at such time and in such manner as the Attorney General may reasonably require, which contains—
(1) a summary of the activities carried out under the grant and an assessment of whether such activities are meeting the needs identified in the application; and
(2) such other information as the Attorney General may require.
(g) Reports to Congress
Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year for which grants are made under this section, the Attorney General shall submit to the Congress a report that includes—
(1) the aggregate amount of grants made under this section to each State or unit of local government for such fiscal year;
(2) a summary of the information provided by States or units of local government receiving grants under this section; and
(3) a description of the priorities and plan for awarding grants among eligible States and units of local government, and how such plan will ensure the effective use of DNA technology to solve crimes and protect public safety.
(h) Expenditure records
(1) In general
Each State or unit of local government which receives a grant under this section shall keep records as the Attorney General may require to facilitate an effective audit of the receipt and use of grant funds received under this section.
(2) Access
Each State or unit of local government which receives a grant under this section shall make available, for the purpose of audit and examination, such records as are related to the receipt or use of any such grant.
(i) Definition
For purposes of this section, the term "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
(j) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General for grants under subsection (a) $151,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2024.
(k) Use of funds for accreditation and audits
The Attorney General may distribute not more than 1 percent of the grant amounts under subsection (j)—
(1) to States or units of local government to defray the costs incurred by laboratories operated by each such State or unit of local government in preparing for accreditation or reaccreditation;
(2) in the form of additional grants to States, units of local government, or nonprofit professional organizations of persons actively involved in forensic science and nationally recognized within the forensic science community—
(A) to defray the costs of external audits of laboratories operated by such State or unit of local government, which participates in the National DNA Index System, to determine whether the laboratory is in compliance with quality assurance standards;
(B) to assess compliance with any plans submitted to the National Institute of Justice, which detail the use of funds received by States or units of local government under this Act; and
(C) to support future capacity building efforts; and
(3) in the form of additional grants to nonprofit professional associations actively involved in forensic science and nationally recognized within the forensic science community to defray the costs of training persons who conduct external audits of laboratories operated by States and units of local government and which participate in the National DNA Index System.
(l) Use of funds for other forensic sciences
The Attorney General may award a grant under this section to a State or unit of local government to alleviate a backlog of cases with respect to a forensic science other than DNA analysis if the State or unit of local government—
(1) certifies to the Attorney General that in such State or unit—
(A) all of the purposes set forth in subsection (a) have been met;
(B) a significant backlog of casework is not waiting for DNA analysis; and
(C) there is no need for significant laboratory equipment, supplies, or additional personnel for timely DNA processing of casework or offender samples; and
(2) demonstrates to the Attorney General that such State or unit requires assistance in alleviating a backlog of cases involving a forensic science other than DNA analysis.
(m) External audits and remedial efforts
In the event that a laboratory operated by a State or unit of local government which has received funds under this Act has undergone an external audit conducted to determine whether the laboratory is in compliance with standards established by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and, as a result of such audit, identifies measures to remedy deficiencies with respect to the compliance by the laboratory with such standards, the State or unit of local government shall implement any such remediation as soon as practicable.
(n) Repealed. Pub. L. 113–4, title X, §1006, Mar. 7, 2013, 127 Stat. 134
(o) Establishment of protocols, technical assistance, and definitions
(1) Protocols and practices
Not later than 18 months after March 7, 2013, the Director, in consultation with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and government laboratories, shall develop and publish a description of protocols and practices the Director considers appropriate for the accurate, timely, and effective collection and processing of DNA evidence, including protocols and practices specific to sexual assault cases, which shall address appropriate steps in the investigation of cases that might involve DNA evidence, including—
(A) how to determine—
(i) which evidence is to be collected by law enforcement personnel and forwarded for testing;
(ii) the preferred order in which evidence from the same case is to be tested; and
(iii) what information to take into account when establishing the order in which evidence from different cases is to be tested;
(B) the establishment of a reasonable period of time in which evidence is to be forwarded by emergency response providers, law enforcement personnel, and prosecutors to a laboratory for testing;
(C) the establishment of reasonable periods of time in which each stage of analytical laboratory testing is to be completed;
(D) systems to encourage communication within a State or unit of local government among emergency response providers, law enforcement personnel, prosecutors, courts, defense counsel, crime laboratory personnel, and crime victims regarding the status of crime scene evidence to be tested; and
(E) standards for conducting the audit of the backlog for DNA case work in sexual assault cases required under subsection (n).
(2) Technical assistance and training
The Director shall make available technical assistance and training to support States and units of local government in adopting and implementing the protocols and practices developed under paragraph (1) on and after the date on which the protocols and practices are published.
(3) Definitions
In this subsection, the terms "awaiting testing" and "possession" have the meanings given those terms in subsection (n).
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Subchapter III of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (a)(6), was in the original "the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2012", meaning
This Act, referred to in subsecs. (e)(1), (k)(2)(B), and (m), is
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2019—Subsec. (a)(2).
Subsec. (a)(8).
Subsec. (b)(8).
Subsec. (c)(3)(B).
Subsec. (c)(3)(C).
Subsec. (j).
2018—Subsec. (a)(9).
Subsec. (c)(4).
Subsec. (c)(5).
2014—Subsec. (c)(3)(B).
Subsec. (c)(3)(C).
Subsec. (j).
2013—Subsec. (a)(6).
Subsec. (a)(7), (8).
Subsec. (c)(3)(B).
Subsec. (c)(3)(C).
Subsec. (c)(4).
Subsec. (n).
Subsec. (o).
2008—Subsec. (c)(3).
Subsec. (c)(3)(A).
Subsec. (c)(3)(B) to (D).
"(B) For fiscal year 2006, not less than 50 percent of the grant amounts shall be awarded for purposes under subsection (a)(2) of this section.
"(C) For fiscal year 2007, not less than 45 percent of the grant amounts shall be awarded for purposes under subsection (a)(2) of this section.
"(D) For fiscal year 2008, not less than 40 percent of the grant amounts shall be awarded for purposes under subsection (a)(2) of this section."
Subsec. (j).
2006—Subsec. (a)(1).
2004—
Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (a)(2).
Subsec. (a)(3).
Subsec. (a)(4), (5).
Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (b)(1).
Subsec. (b)(3).
Subsec. (b)(4).
Subsec. (b)(5).
Subsec. (b)(6).
Subsec. (b)(7).
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (d)(1).
Subsec. (d)(2)(A).
Subsec. (d)(3).
Subsec. (e)(1).
Subsec. (e)(2).
Subsec. (f).
Subsec. (g)(1).
Subsec. (g)(2).
Subsec. (g)(3).
Subsec. (h).
Subsec. (j)(1) to (5).
"(1) For grants for the purposes specified in paragraph (1) of such subsection—
"(A) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
"(B) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2002; and
"(C) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.
"(2) For grants for the purposes specified in paragraphs (2) and (3) of such subsection—
"(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
"(B) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
"(C) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
"(D) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004."
Subsec. (k) to (m).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Termination Date of 2013 Amendment
Reports to Congress
"(1) lists the States and units of local government that have been awarded such grants and the amount of the grant received by each such State or unit of local government;
"(2) states the number of extensions granted by the Attorney General under section 2(n)(3) of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 [
"(3) summarizes the processing status of the samples of sexual assault evidence identified in Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Reports established under section 2(n)(4) of the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 [
Oversight and Accountability
"(1)
"(2)
"(3)
"(4)
"(A) deposit an amount equal to the grant funds that were improperly awarded to the grantee into the General Fund of the Treasury; and
"(B) seek to recoup the costs of the repayment to the fund from the grant recipient that was erroneously awarded grant funds.
"(5)
"(6)
"(A)
"(B)
"(C)
"(7)
"(8)
"(A)
"(B)
"(C)
"(9)
"(A)
"(i) lobby any representative of the Department of Justice regarding the award of grant funding; or
"(ii) lobby any representative of a Federal, state, local, or tribal government regarding the award of grant funding.
"(B)
"(i) require the grant recipient to repay the grant in full; and
"(ii) prohibit the grant recipient from receiving another grant under this title for not less than 5 years."
Sense of Congress Regarding the Obligation of Grantee States to Ensure Access to Post-Conviction DNA Testing and Competent Counsel in Capital Cases
"(a)
"(1) over the past decade, deoxyribonucleic acid testing (referred to in this section as 'DNA testing') has emerged as the most reliable forensic technique for identifying criminals when biological material is left at a crime scene;
"(2) because of its scientific precision, DNA testing can, in some cases, conclusively establish the guilt or innocence of a criminal defendant;
"(3) in other cases, DNA testing may not conclusively establish guilt or innocence, but may have significant probative value to a finder of fact;
"(4) DNA testing was not widely available in cases tried prior to 1994;
"(5) new forensic DNA testing procedures have made it possible to get results from minute samples that could not previously be tested, and to obtain more informative and accurate results than earlier forms of forensic DNA testing could produce, resulting in some cases of convicted inmates being exonerated by new DNA tests after earlier tests had failed to produce definitive results;
"(6) DNA testing can and has resulted in the post-conviction exoneration of more than 75 innocent men and women, including some under sentence of death;
"(7) in more than a dozen cases, post-conviction DNA testing that has exonerated an innocent person has also enhanced public safety by providing evidence that led to the apprehension of the actual perpetrator;
"(8) experience has shown that it is not unduly burdensome to make DNA testing available to inmates in appropriate cases;
"(9) under current Federal and State law, it is difficult to obtain post-conviction DNA testing because of time limits on introducing newly discovered evidence;
"(10) the National Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, a Federal panel established by the Department of Justice and comprised of law enforcement, judicial, and scientific experts, has urged that post-conviction DNA testing be permitted in the relatively small number of cases in which it is appropriate, notwithstanding procedural rules that could be invoked to preclude such testing, and notwithstanding the inability of an inmate to pay for the testing;
"(11) only a few States have adopted post-conviction DNA testing procedures;
"(12) States have received millions of dollars in DNA-related grants, and more funding is needed to improve State forensic facilities and to reduce the nationwide backlog of DNA samples from convicted offenders and crime scenes that need to be tested or retested using upgraded methods;
"(13) States that accept such financial assistance should not deny the promise of truth and justice for both sides of our adversarial system that DNA testing offers;
"(14) post-conviction DNA testing and other post-conviction investigative techniques have shown that innocent people have been sentenced to death in this country;
"(15) a constitutional error in capital cases is incompetent defense lawyers who fail to present important evidence that the defendant may have been innocent or does not deserve to be sentenced to death; and
"(16) providing quality representation to defendants facing loss of liberty or life is essential to fundamental due process and the speedy final resolution of judicial proceedings.
"(b)
"(1) Congress should condition forensic science-related grants to a State or State forensic facility on the State's agreement to ensure post-conviction DNA testing in appropriate cases; and
"(2) Congress should work with the States to improve the quality of legal representation in capital cases through the establishment of standards that will assure the timely appointment of competent counsel with adequate resources to represent defendants in capital cases at each stage of the proceedings."
1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.
§40702. Collection and use of DNA identification information from certain Federal offenders
(a) Collection of DNA samples
(1) From individuals in custody
(A) The Attorney General may, as prescribed by the Attorney General in regulation, collect DNA samples from individuals who are arrested, facing charges, or convicted or from non-United States persons who are detained under the authority of the United States. The Attorney General may delegate this function within the Department of Justice as provided in
(B) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall collect a DNA sample from each individual in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons who is, or has been, convicted of a qualifying Federal offense (as determined under subsection (d)) or a qualifying military offense, as determined under
(2) From individuals on release, parole, or probation
The probation office responsible for the supervision under Federal law of an individual on probation, parole, or supervised release shall collect a DNA sample from each such individual who is, or has been, convicted of a qualifying Federal offense (as determined under subsection (d)) or a qualifying military offense, as determined under
(3) Individuals already in CODIS
For each individual described in paragraph (1) or (2), if the Combined DNA Index System (in this section referred to as "CODIS") of the Federal Bureau of Investigation contains a DNA analysis with respect to that individual, or if a DNA sample has been collected from that individual under
(4) Collection procedures
(A) The Attorney General, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, or the probation office responsible (as applicable) may use or authorize the use of such means as are reasonably necessary to detain, restrain, and collect a DNA sample from an individual who refuses to cooperate in the collection of the sample.
(B) The Attorney General, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, or the probation office, as appropriate, may enter into agreements with units of State or local government or with private entities to provide for the collection of the samples described in paragraph (1) or (2).
(5) Criminal penalty
An individual from whom the collection of a DNA sample is authorized under this subsection who fails to cooperate in the collection of that sample shall be—
(A) guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and
(B) punished in accordance with title 18.
(b) Analysis and use of samples
The Attorney General, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, or the probation office responsible (as applicable) shall furnish each DNA sample collected under subsection (a) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who shall carry out a DNA analysis on each such DNA sample and include the results in CODIS. The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may waive the requirements under this subsection if DNA samples are analyzed by means of Rapid DNA instruments and the results are included in CODIS.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1) The term "DNA sample" means a tissue, fluid, or other bodily sample of an individual on which a DNA analysis can be carried out.
(2) The term "DNA analysis" means analysis of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) identification information in a bodily sample.
(3) The term "Rapid DNA instruments" means instrumentation that carries out a fully automated process to derive a DNA analysis from a DNA sample.
(d) Qualifying Federal offenses
The offenses that shall be treated for purposes of this section as qualifying Federal offenses are the following offenses, as determined by the Attorney General:
(1) Any felony.
(2) Any offense under
(3) Any crime of violence (as that term is defined in
(4) Any attempt or conspiracy to commit any of the offenses in paragraphs (1) through (3).
(e) Regulations
(1) In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), this section shall be carried out under regulations prescribed by the Attorney General.
(2) Probation officers
The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall make available model procedures for the activities of probation officers in carrying out this section.
(f) Commencement of collection
Collection of DNA samples under subsection (a) shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, commence not later than the date that is 180 days after December 19, 2000.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2017—Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (c)(3).
2006—Subsec. (a)(1).
Subsec. (a)(1)(A).
Subsec. (a)(3), (4).
Subsec. (b).
2004—Subsec. (d).
2001—Subsec. (d)(2).
§40703. Collection and use of DNA identification information from certain District of Columbia offenders
(a) Collection of DNA samples
(1) From individuals in custody
The Director of the Bureau of Prisons shall collect a DNA sample from each individual in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons who is, or has been, convicted of a qualifying District of Columbia offense (as determined under subsection (d)).
(2) From individuals on release, parole, or probation
The Director of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia shall collect a DNA sample from each individual under the supervision of the Agency who is on supervised release, parole, or probation who is, or has been, convicted of a qualifying District of Columbia offense (as determined under subsection (d)).
(3) Individuals already in CODIS
For each individual described in paragraph (1) or (2), if the Combined DNA Index System (in this section referred to as "CODIS") of the Federal Bureau of Investigation contains a DNA analysis with respect to that individual, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons or Agency (as applicable) may (but need not) collect a DNA sample from that individual.
(4) Collection procedures
(A) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons or Agency (as applicable) may use or authorize the use of such means as are reasonably necessary to detain, restrain, and collect a DNA sample from an individual who refuses to cooperate in the collection of the sample.
(B) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons or Agency, as appropriate, may enter into agreements with units of State or local government or with private entities to provide for the collection of the samples described in paragraph (1) or (2).
(5) Criminal penalty
An individual from whom the collection of a DNA sample is authorized under this subsection who fails to cooperate in the collection of that sample shall be—
(A) guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and
(B) punished in accordance with title 18.
(b) Analysis and use of samples
The Director of the Bureau of Prisons or Agency (as applicable) shall furnish each DNA sample collected under subsection (a) to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who shall carry out a DNA analysis on each such DNA sample and include the results in CODIS. The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may waive the requirements under this subsection if DNA samples are analyzed by means of Rapid DNA instruments and the results are included in CODIS.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1) The term "DNA sample" means a tissue, fluid, or other bodily sample of an individual on which a DNA analysis can be carried out.
(2) The term "DNA analysis" means analysis of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) identification information in a bodily sample.
(3) The term "Rapid DNA instruments" means instrumentation that carries out a fully automated process to derive a DNA analysis from a DNA sample.
(d) Qualifying District of Columbia offenses
The government of the District of Columbia may determine those offenses under the District of Columbia Code that shall be treated for purposes of this section as qualifying District of Columbia offenses.
(e) Commencement of collection
Collection of DNA samples under subsection (a) shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, commence not later than the date that is 180 days after December 19, 2000.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2017—Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (c)(3).
§40704. Conditions of release generally
If the collection of a DNA sample from an individual on probation, parole, or supervised release is authorized pursuant to
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40705. Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this Act (including to reimburse the Federal judiciary for any reasonable costs incurred in implementing such Act, as determined by the Attorney General) such sums as may be necessary.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This Act, referred to in text, is
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40706. Privacy protection standards
(a) In general
Except as provided in subsection (b), any sample collected under, or any result of any analysis carried out under,
(b) Permissive uses
A sample or result described in subsection (a) may be disclosed under the circumstances under which disclosure of information included in the Combined DNA Index System is allowed, as specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of
(c) Criminal penalty
A person who knowingly discloses a sample or result described in subsection (a) in any manner to any person not authorized to receive it, or obtains or uses, without authorization, such sample or result, shall be fined not more than $250,000, or imprisoned for a period of not more than one year. Each instance of disclosure, obtaining, or use shall constitute a separate offense under this subsection.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2004—Subsec. (c).
"(1) discloses a sample or result described in subsection (a) of this section in any manner to any person not authorized to receive it; or
"(2) obtains, without authorization, a sample or result described in subsection (a) of this section,
shall be fined not more than $250,000, or imprisoned for a period of not more than one year, or both."
SUBCHAPTER II—TRAINING, TECHNOLOGY, RESEARCH, AND EXPANDED USE
§40721. Report to Congress on plans to modify CODIS system
If the Department of Justice plans to modify or supplement the core genetic markers needed for compatibility with the CODIS system, it shall notify the Judiciary Committee of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives in writing not later than 180 days before any change is made and explain the reasons for such change.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section is comprised of subsec. (f) of section 203 of
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§40722. DNA training and education for law enforcement, correctional personnel, and court officers
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall make grants to provide training, technical assistance, education, and information relating to the identification, collection, preservation, analysis, and use of DNA samples and DNA evidence by—
(1) law enforcement personnel, including police officers and other first responders, evidence technicians, investigators, and others who collect or examine evidence of crime;
(2) court officers, including State and local prosecutors, defense lawyers, and judges;
(3) forensic science professionals; and
(4) corrections personnel, including prison and jail personnel, and probation, parole, and other officers involved in supervision.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $12,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2024 to carry out this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2019—Subsec. (b).
2014—Subsec. (b).
2008—Subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Incentive Grants to States To Ensure Consideration of Claims of Actual Innocence
"(1) meet the requirements under section 303, 305, 308, or 412, as appropriate; and
"(2) for eligible entities that are a State or unit of local government, provide a certification by the chief legal officer of the State in which the eligible entity operates or the chief legal officer of the jurisdiction in which the funds will be used for the purposes of the grants, that the State or jurisdiction—
"(A) provides DNA testing of specified evidence under a State statute or a State or local rule or regulation to persons sentenced to imprisonment or death for a State felony offense, in a manner intended to ensure a reasonable process for resolving claims of actual innocence that ensures post-conviction DNA testing in at least those cases that would be covered by
"(B) preserves biological evidence, as defined in
§40723. Sexual assault forensic exam program grants
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Eligible entity
The term "eligible entity" includes—
(A) a State, Tribal, or local government or hospital;
(B) a sexual assault examination program, including—
(i) a SANE program;
(ii) a SAFE program;
(iii) a SART program;
(iv) medical personnel, including a doctor or nurse, involved in treating victims of sexual assault; and
(v) a victim service provider involved in treating victims of sexual assault;
(C) a State sexual assault coalition;
(D) a health care facility, including a hospital that provides sexual assault forensic examinations by a qualified or certified SANE or SAFE;
(E) a sexual assault examination program that provides SANE or SAFE training; and
(F) a community-based program that provides sexual assault forensic examinations, including pediatric forensic exams in a multidisciplinary setting, by a qualified or certified SANE or SAFE outside of a traditional health care setting.
(2) Health care facility
The term "health care facility" means any State, local, Tribal, community, free, nonprofit, academic, or private medical facility, including a hospital, that provides emergency medical care to patients.
(3) Medical forensic examination; MFE
The term "medical forensic examination" or "MFE" means an examination of a sexual assault patient by a health care provider, who has specialized education and clinical experience in the collection of forensic evidence and treatment of these patients, which includes—
(A) gathering information from the patient for the medical forensic history;
(B) an examination;
(C) coordinating treatment of injuries, documentation of biological and physical findings, and collection of evidence from the patient;
(D) documentation of findings;
(E) providing information, treatment, and referrals for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, suicidal ideation, alcohol and substance abuse, and other non-acute medical concerns; and
(F) providing follow-up as needed to provide additional healing, treatment, or collection of evidence.
(4) Pediatric SANE and SAFE
The term "pediatric SANE and SAFE" means a SANE or SAFE who is trained to conduct sexual assault forensic examinations on children and youth between the ages of 0 and 18.
(5) Qualified personnel
The term "qualified personnel" includes a registered or advanced practice nurse, physician, doctor of osteopathy, or physician assistant who has specialized training conducting medical forensic examinations.
(6) Qualified SANE and SAFE training program
The term "qualified SANE and SAFE training program" means a program that—
(A) is qualified to prepare current and future sexual assault nurse examiners to be profession-ready and meet the applicable State and National certification and licensure requirements, through didactic, clinical, preceptor, or capstone programs that include longer-term training;
(B) provides that preparation under a health care model that uses trauma-informed techniques; and
(C) is approved as meeting the most recent National Training Standards for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examiners.
(7) Rural area
The term "rural area" has the meaning given the term in
(8) Secretary
The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(9) Sexual assault
The term "sexual assault" means any nonconsensual sexual act or sexual contact proscribed by Federal, Tribal, or State law, including when the individual lacks capacity to consent.
(10) Sexual assault forensic examiner; SAFE
The term "sexual assault forensic examiner" or "SAFE" means an individual who has specialized forensic training in treating sexual assault survivors and conducting medical forensic examinations.
(11) Sexual assault forensic examination
The term "sexual assault forensic examination" means an examination of a sexual assault patient by a health care provider, who has specialized education and clinical experience in the collection of forensic evidence and treatment of these patients, which includes—
(A) gathering information from the patient for the medical forensic history;
(B) an examination;
(C) coordinating treatment of injuries, documentation of biological and physical findings, and collection of evidence from the patient;
(D) documentation of findings;
(E) providing information, treatment, and referrals for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, suicidal ideation, alcohol and substance abuse, and other non-acute medical concerns; and
(F) providing follow-up as needed to provide additional healing, treatment, or collection of evidence.
(12) Sexual assault nurse examiner; SANE
The term "sexual assault nurse examiner" or "SANE" means a registered or advanced practice nurse who has specialized training conducting medical forensic examinations.
(13) Sexual assault response team; SART
The term "sexual assault response team" or "SART" means a multidisciplinary team that—
(A) provides a specialized and immediate response to survivors of sexual assault; and
(B) may include health care personnel, law enforcement representatives, community-based survivor advocates, prosecutors, and forensic scientists.
(14) State
The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(15) Trauma-informed
The term "trauma-informed" means, with respect to services or training, services or training that—
(A) use a patient-centered approach to providing services or care;
(B) promote the dignity, strength, and empowerment of patients who have experienced trauma; and
(C) incorporate evidence-based practices based on knowledge about the impact of trauma on patients' lives.
(16) Underserved populations
The term "underserved populations" has the meaning given the term in
(b) Sexual assault nurse examiner training program grants
(1) Authorization for grants
The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall make grants to eligible entities for the following purposes:
(A) To establish qualified regional SANE training programs—
(i) to provide clinical education for SANE students;
(ii) to provide salaries for full and part-time SANE instructors, including those specializing in pediatrics and working in a multidisciplinary team setting, to help with the clinical training of SANEs; and
(iii) to provide access to simulation laboratories and other resources necessary for clinical education.
(B) To provide full and part time salaries for SANEs and SAFEs, including pediatric SANEs and SAFEs.
(C) To increase access to SANEs and SAFEs by otherwise providing training, education, or technical assistance relating to the collection, preservation, analysis, and use of DNA samples and DNA evidence by SANEs, SAFEs, and other qualified personnel.
(2) Preference for grants
In reviewing applications for grants under this section, the Attorney General shall give preference to any eligible entity that certifies in the grant application that the entity will coordinate with a rape crisis center or the State sexual assault coalition to facilitate sexual assault advocacy to support sexual assault survivors and use the grant funds to—
(A) establish qualified SANE training programs in localities with a high volume of forensic trauma cases, including adult and child sexual assault, domestic violence, elder abuse, sex trafficking, and strangulation cases;
(B) increase the local and regional availability of full and part time sexual assault nurse examiners in a rural area, Tribal area, an area with a health professional shortage, or for an underserved population, including efforts to provide culturally competent services; or
(C) establish or sustain sexual assault mobile teams or units or otherwise enhance SANE and SAFE access through telehealth.
(c) Directive to the Attorney General
(1) In general
Not later than the beginning of fiscal year 2022, the Attorney General shall coordinate with the Secretary to inform health care facilities, including Federally qualified health centers and hospitals, colleges and universities, and other appropriate health-related entities about—
(A) the availability of grant funding under this section; and
(B) the role of sexual assault nurse examiners, both adult and pediatric, and available resources of the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to train or employ sexual assault nurses examiners to address the needs of communities dealing with sexual assault, domestic violence, sex trafficking, elder abuse, strangulation, and, in particular, the need for pediatric SANEs, including such nurse examiners working in the multidisciplinary setting, in responding to abuse of both children and adolescents.
(2) Requirement
In carrying out paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall collaborate with nongovernmental organizations representing SANEs.
(d) Public information on access to sexual assault forensic examinations
(1) In general
Not later than 2 years after March 15, 2022, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall establish, and update annually, a public website on the access to forensic nurse examiners.
(2) Contents
The website required under paragraph (1) shall with specificity describe, by State—
(A) funding opportunities for SANE training and continuing education; and
(B) the availability of sexual assault advocates at locations providing sexual assault forensic exams.
(3) Report to Congress
Not later than 4 years after March 15, 2022, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on—
(A) the availability of, and patient access to, trained SANEs and other providers who perform MFEs or sexual assault forensic examinations;
(B) the health care facilities, including hospitals or clinics, that offer SANEs and sexual assault forensic examinations and whether each health care facility, including a hospital or clinic, has full-time, part-time, or on-call coverage;
(C) regional, provider, or other barriers to access for SANE care and services, including MFEs and sexual assault forensic examinations;
(D) State requirements, minimum standards, and protocols for training SANEs, including trauma-informed and culturally competent training standards;
(E) State requirements, minimum standards, and protocols for training emergency services personnel involved in MFEs and sexual assault forensic examinations;
(F) the availability of sexual assault nurse examiner training, frequency of when training is convened, the providers of such training, the State's role in such training, and what process or procedures are in place for continuing education of such examiners;
(G) the dedicated Federal and State funding to support SANE training;
(H) funding opportunities for SANE training and continuing education;
(I) the availability of sexual assault advocates at locations providing MFEs and sexual assault forensic exams; and
(J) the total annual cost of conducting sexual assault forensic exams described in
(e) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (d).
Subsec. (e).
2019—Subsec. (d).
2018—Subsec. (c)(2).
2016—Subsecs. (c), (d).
2014—Subsec. (c).
2008—Subsec. (c).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by
§40724. DNA research and development
(a) Improving DNA technology
The Attorney General shall make grants for research and development to improve forensic DNA technology, including increasing the identification accuracy and efficiency of DNA analysis, decreasing time and expense, and increasing portability.
(b) Demonstration projects
The Attorney General shall make grants to appropriate entities under which research is carried out through demonstration projects involving coordinated training and commitment of resources to law enforcement agencies and key criminal justice participants to demonstrate and evaluate the use of forensic DNA technology in conjunction with other forensic tools. The demonstration projects shall include scientific evaluation of the public safety benefits, improvements to law enforcement operations, and cost-effectiveness of increased collection and use of DNA evidence.
(c) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2016—Subsec. (c).
§40725. National Forensic Science Commission
(a) Appointment
The Attorney General shall appoint a National Forensic Science Commission (in this section referred to as the "Commission"), composed of persons experienced in criminal justice issues, including persons from the forensic science and criminal justice communities, to carry out the responsibilities under subsection (b).
(b) Responsibilities
The Commission shall—
(1) assess the present and future resource needs of the forensic science community;
(2) make recommendations to the Attorney General for maximizing the use of forensic technologies and techniques to solve crimes and protect the public;
(3) identify potential scientific advances that may assist law enforcement in using forensic technologies and techniques to protect the public;
(4) make recommendations to the Attorney General for programs that will increase the number of qualified forensic scientists available to work in public crime laboratories;
(5) disseminate, through the National Institute of Justice, best practices concerning the collection and analyses of forensic evidence to help ensure quality and consistency in the use of forensic technologies and techniques to solve crimes and protect the public;
(6) examine additional issues pertaining to forensic science as requested by the Attorney General;
(7) examine Federal, State, and local privacy protection statutes, regulations, and practices relating to access to, or use of, stored DNA samples or DNA analyses, to determine whether such protections are sufficient;
(8) make specific recommendations to the Attorney General, as necessary, to enhance the protections described in paragraph (7) to ensure—
(A) the appropriate use and dissemination of DNA information;
(B) the accuracy, security, and confidentiality of DNA information;
(C) the timely removal and destruction of obsolete, expunged, or inaccurate DNA information; and
(D) that any other necessary measures are taken to protect privacy; and
(9) provide a forum for the exchange and dissemination of ideas and information in furtherance of the objectives described in paragraphs (1) through (8).
(c) Personnel; procedures
The Attorney General shall—
(1) designate the Chair of the Commission from among its members;
(2) designate any necessary staff to assist in carrying out the functions of the Commission; and
(3) establish procedures and guidelines for the operations of the Commission.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to carry out this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40726. DNA identification of missing persons
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall make grants to promote the use of forensic DNA technology to identify missing persons and unidentified human remains.
(b) Requirement
Each State or unit of local government that receives funding under this section shall be required to submit the DNA profiles of such missing persons and unidentified human remains to the National Missing Persons DNA Database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(c) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2016—Subsec. (c).
§40727. Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall establish the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Grant Program to award grants to States to help defray the costs of post-conviction DNA testing.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out this section.
(c) State defined
For purposes of this section, the term "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2016—Subsec. (b).
§40728. Establishment of best practices for evidence retention
(a) In general
The Director of the National Institute of Justice, in consultation with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and government laboratories, shall—
(1) establish best practices for evidence retention to focus on the preservation of forensic evidence; and
(2) assist State, local, and tribal governments in adopting and implementing the best practices established under paragraph (1).
(b) Deadline
Not later than 1 year after December 16, 2016, the Director of the National Institute of Justice shall publish the best practices established under subsection (a)(1).
(c) Limitation
Nothing in this section shall be construed to require or obligate compliance with the best practices established under subsection (a)(1).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
SUBCHAPTER III—DNA ARRESTEE COLLECTION PROCESSES
§40741. Definitions
For purposes of this subchapter:
(1) DNA arrestee collection process
The term "DNA arrestee collection process" means, with respect to a State, a process under which the State provides for the collection, for purposes of inclusion in the index described in
(A) Individuals who are arrested for or charged with a criminal offense under State law that consists of a homicide.
(B) Individuals who are arrested for or charged with a criminal offense under State law that has an element involving a sexual act or sexual contact with another and that is punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.
(C) Individuals who are arrested for or charged with a criminal offense under State law that has an element of kidnaping or abduction and that is punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.
(D) Individuals who are arrested for or charged with a criminal offense under State law that consists of burglary punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.
(E) Individuals who are arrested for or charged with a criminal offense under State law that consists of aggravated assault punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year.
(2) State
The term "State" means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This subchapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40742. Grants to States to implement DNA arrestee collection processes
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall, subject to amounts made available pursuant to
(b) Applications
(1) In general
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, in addition to any other requirements specified by the Attorney General, a State shall submit to the Attorney General an application that demonstrates that it has statutory authorization for the implementation of a DNA arrestee collection process.
(2) Non-supplanting funds
An application submitted under paragraph (1) by a State shall include assurances that the amounts received under the grant under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, State funds that would otherwise be available for the purpose described in subsection (a).
(3) Other requirements
The Attorney General shall require a State seeking a grant under this section to document how such State will use the grant to meet expenses associated with a State's implementation or planned implementation of a DNA arrestee collection process.
(c) Grant allocation
(1) In general
The amount available to a State under this section shall be based on the projected costs that will be incurred by the State to implement a DNA arrestee collection process. Subject to paragraph (2), the Attorney General shall retain discretion to determine the amount of each such grant awarded to an eligible State.
(2) Maximum grant allocation
In the case of a State seeking a grant under this section with respect to the implementation of a DNA arrestee collection process, such State shall be eligible for a grant under this section that is equal to no more than 100 percent of the first year costs to the State of implementing such process.
(d) Grant conditions
As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a State shall have a procedure in place to—
(1) provide written notification of expungement provisions and instructions for requesting expungement to all persons who submit a DNA profile or DNA data for inclusion in the index;
(2) provide the eligibility criteria for expungement and instructions for requesting expungement on an appropriate public Web site; and
(3) make a determination on all expungement requests not later than 90 days after receipt and provide a written response of the determination to the requesting party.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40743. Expungement of profiles
The expungement requirements under
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This subchapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
§40744. Offset of funds appropriated
Any funds appropriated to carry out this subchapter, not to exceed $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2015, shall be derived from amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (j) of
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This subchapter, referred to in text, was in the original "this Act", meaning
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
CHAPTER 409 —NATIONAL INSTANT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK SYSTEM
SUBCHAPTER I—TRANSMITTAL OF RECORDS
SUBCHAPTER II—FOCUSING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF RELEVANT RECORDS
SUBCHAPTER III—GRANTS TO STATE COURT SYSTEMS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATION AND TRANSMITTAL OF DISPOSITION RECORDS
§40901. Establishment
(a) Determination of timetables
Not later than 6 months after November 30, 1993, the Attorney General shall—
(1) determine the type of computer hardware and software that will be used to operate the national instant criminal background check system and the means by which State criminal records systems and the telephone or electronic device of licensees will communicate with the national system;
(2) investigate the criminal records system of each State and determine for each State a timetable by which the State should be able to provide criminal records on an on-line capacity basis to the national system; and
(3) notify each State of the determinations made pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Establishment of system
(1) In general
Not later than 60 months after November 30, 1993, the Attorney General shall establish a national instant criminal background check system that any licensee may contact, by telephone or by other electronic means in addition to the telephone, for information, to be supplied immediately, on whether receipt of a firearm by a prospective transferee would violate
(2) Voluntary background checks
(A) In general
Not later than 90 days after June 25, 2022, the Attorney General shall promulgate regulations allowing licensees to use the national instant criminal background check system established under this section for purposes of voluntarily conducting an employment background check relating to a current or prospective employee. The Attorney General may not collect a fee for an employment background check under this subparagraph.
(B) Notice
Before conducting an employment background check relating to a current or prospective employee under subparagraph (A), a licensee shall—
(i) provide written notice to the current or prospective employee that the licensee intends to conduct the background check; and
(ii) obtain consent to conduct the background check from the current or prospective employee in writing.
(C) Exemption
An employment background check conducted by a licensee under subparagraph (A) shall not be governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (
(D) Appeal
Any individual who is the subject of an employment background check conducted by a licensee under subparagraph (A) the result of which indicates that the individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition pursuant to subsection (g) or (n) of
(c) Expedited action by the Attorney General
The Attorney General shall expedite—
(1) the upgrading and indexing of State criminal history records in the Federal criminal records system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(2) the development of hardware and software systems to link State criminal history check systems into the national instant criminal background check system established by the Attorney General pursuant to this section; and
(3) the current revitalization initiatives by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for technologically advanced fingerprint and criminal records identification.
(d) Notification of licensees
On establishment of the system under this section, the Attorney General shall notify each licensee and the chief law enforcement officer of each State of the existence and purpose of the system and the means to be used to contact the system.
(e) Administrative provisions
(1) Authority to obtain official information
(A) In general
Notwithstanding any other law, the Attorney General may secure directly from any department or agency of the United States such information on persons for whom receipt of a firearm would violate subsection (g) or (n) of
(B) Request of attorney general
On request of the Attorney General, the head of such department or agency shall furnish electronic versions of the information described under subparagraph (A) to the system.
(C) Quarterly submission to Attorney General
If a Federal department or agency under subparagraph (A) has any record of any person demonstrating that the person falls within one of the categories described in subsection (g) or (n) of
(D) Information updates
The Federal department or agency, on being made aware that the basis under which a record was made available under subparagraph (A) does not apply, or no longer applies, shall—
(i) update, correct, modify, or remove the record from any database that the agency maintains and makes available to the Attorney General, in accordance with the rules pertaining to that database; and
(ii) notify the Attorney General that such basis no longer applies so that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is kept up to date.
The Attorney General upon receiving notice pursuant to clause (ii) shall ensure that the record in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is updated, corrected, modified, or removed within 30 days of receipt.
(E) Annual report
The Attorney General shall submit an annual report to Congress that describes the compliance of each department or agency with the provisions of this paragraph.
(F) Semiannual certification and reporting
(i) In general
The head of each Federal department or agency shall submit a semiannual written certification to the Attorney General indicating whether the department or agency is in compliance with the record submission requirements under subparagraph (C).
(ii) Submission dates
The head of a Federal department or agency shall submit a certification to the Attorney General under clause (i)—
(I) not later than July 31 of each year, which shall address all relevant records, including those that have not been transmitted to the Attorney General, in possession of the department or agency during the period beginning on January 1 of the year and ending on June 30 of the year; and
(II) not later than January 31 of each year, which shall address all relevant records, including those that have not been transmitted to the Attorney General, in possession of the department or agency during the period beginning on July 1 of the previous year and ending on December 31 of the previous year.
(iii) Contents
A certification required under clause (i) shall state, for the applicable period—
(I) the total number of records of the Federal department or agency demonstrating that a person falls within one of the categories described in subsection (g) or (n) of
(II) for each category of records described in subclause (I), the total number of records of the Federal department or agency that have been provided to the Attorney General; and
(III) the efforts of the Federal department or agency to ensure complete and accurate reporting of relevant records, including efforts to monitor compliance and correct any reporting failures or inaccuracies.
(G) Implementation plan
(i) In general
Not later than 1 year after March 23, 2018, the head of each Federal department or agency, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall establish a plan to ensure maximum coordination and automated reporting or making available of records to the Attorney General as required under subparagraph (C), and the verification of the accuracy of those records, including the pre-validation of those records, where appropriate, during a 4-year period specified in the plan. The records shall be limited to those of an individual described in subsection (g) or (n) of
(ii) Benchmark requirements
Each plan established under clause (i) shall include annual benchmarks to enable the Attorney General to assess implementation of the plan, including—
(I) qualitative goals and quantitative measures;
(II) measures to monitor internal compliance, including any reporting failures and inaccuracies;
(III) a needs assessment, including estimated compliance costs; and
(IV) an estimated date by which the Federal department or agency will fully comply with record submission requirements under subparagraph (C).
(iii) Compliance determination
Not later than the end of each fiscal year beginning after the date of the establishment of a plan under clause (i), the Attorney General shall determine whether the applicable Federal department or agency has achieved substantial compliance with the benchmarks included in the plan.
(H) Accountability
The Attorney General shall publish, including on the website of the Department of Justice, and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a semiannual report that discloses—
(i) the name of each Federal department or agency that has failed to submit a required certification under subparagraph (F);
(ii) the name of each Federal department or agency that has submitted a required certification under subparagraph (F), but failed to certify compliance with the record submission requirements under subparagraph (C);
(iii) the name of each Federal department or agency that has failed to submit an implementation plan under subparagraph (G);
(iv) the name of each Federal department or agency that is not in substantial compliance with an implementation plan under subparagraph (G);
(v) a detailed summary of the data, broken down by department or agency, contained in the certifications submitted under subparagraph (F);
(vi) a detailed summary of the contents and status, broken down by department or agency, of the implementation plans established under subparagraph (G); and
(vii) the reasons for which the Attorney General has determined that a Federal department or agency is not in substantial compliance with an implementation plan established under subparagraph (G).
(I) Noncompliance penalties
For each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, each political appointee of a Federal department or agency that has failed to certify compliance with the record submission requirements under subparagraph (C), and is not in substantial compliance with an implementation plan established under subparagraph (G), shall not be eligible for the receipt of bonus pay, excluding overtime pay, until the department or agency—
(i) certifies compliance with the record submission requirements under subparagraph (C); or
(ii) achieves substantial compliance with an implementation plan established under subparagraph (G).
(J) Technical assistance
The Attorney General may use funds made available for the national instant criminal background check system established under subsection (b) to provide technical assistance to a Federal department or agency, at the request of the department or agency, in order to help the department or agency comply with the record submission requirements under subparagraph (C).
(K) Application to Federal courts
For purposes of this paragraph—
(i) the terms "department or agency of the United States" and "Federal department or agency" include a Federal court; and
(ii) the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall perform, for a Federal court, the functions assigned to the head of a department or agency.
(2) Other authority
The Attorney General shall develop such computer software, design and obtain such telecommunications and computer hardware, and employ such personnel, as are necessary to establish and operate the system in accordance with this section.
(f) Written reasons provided on request
If the national instant criminal background check system determines that an individual is ineligible to receive a firearm and the individual requests the system to provide the reasons for the determination, the system shall provide such reasons to the individual, in writing, within 5 business days after the date of the request.
(g) Correction of erroneous system information
If the system established under this section informs an individual contacting the system that receipt of a firearm by a prospective transferee would violate subsection (g) or (n) of
(h) Regulations
After 90 days' notice to the public and an opportunity for hearing by interested parties, the Attorney General shall prescribe regulations to ensure the privacy and security of the information of the system established under this section.
(i) Prohibition relating To establishment of registration systems with respect to firearms
No department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States may—
(1) require that any record or portion thereof generated by the system established under this section be recorded at or transferred to a facility owned, managed, or controlled by the United States or any State or political subdivision thereof; or
(2) use the system established under this section to establish any system for the registration of firearms, firearm owners, or firearm transactions or dispositions, except with respect to persons, prohibited by section 922(g) or (n) of title 18 or State law, from receiving a firearm.
(j) Definitions
As used in this section:
(1) Licensee
The term "licensee" means a licensed importer (as defined in
(2) Other terms
The terms "firearm", "handgun", "licensed importer", "licensed manufacturer", and "licensed dealer" have the meanings stated in
(k) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to enable the Attorney General to carry out this section.
(l) Requirements relating to background checks for persons under age 21
If a licensee contacts the system established under this section regarding a proposed transfer of a firearm to a person less than 21 years of age in accordance with subsection (t) of
(1) immediately contact—
(A) the criminal history repository or juvenile justice information system, as appropriate, of the State in which the person resides for the purpose of determining whether the person has a possibly disqualifying juvenile record under subsection (d) of such section 922;
(B) the appropriate State custodian of mental health adjudication records in the State in which the person resides to determine whether the person has a possibly disqualifying juvenile record under subsection (d) of such section 922; and
(C) a local law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the person resides for the purpose of determining whether the person has a possibly disqualifying juvenile record under subsection (d) of such section 922;
(2) as soon as possible, but in no case more than 3 business days, after the licensee contacts the system, notify the licensee whether cause exists to further investigate a possibly disqualifying juvenile record under subsection (d) of such section 922; and
(3) if there is cause for further investigation, as soon as possible, but in no case more than 10 business days, after the licensee contacts the system, notify the licensee whether—
(A) transfer of a firearm to the person would violate subsection (d) of such section 922; or
(B) receipt of a firearm by the person would violate subsection (g) or (n) of such section 922, or State, local, or Tribal law.
(
Amendment of Subsection (l)
For repeal of amendment by section 12001(a)(3) of
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Fair Credit Reporting Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(C), is title VI of
Codification
Section was enacted as part of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, and not as part of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 which comprises this chapter.
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (b).
Subsec. (l).
2018—Subsec. (e)(1)(F) to (K).
Subsec. (g).
2008—Subsec. (e)(1).
1996—Subsecs. (e)(1), (g).
Subsec. (i)(2).
Subsec. (k).
1994—Subsec. (k).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Termination Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by section 12001(a)(2) of
Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
Amendment by section 603(i)(1) of
Short Title
For short title of
Statutory Construction; Evidence
Nothing in amendment made by section 12004(h)(1) of
Nothing in amendment made by section 12004(h)(1) of
Report on Removing Outdated, Expired, or Erroneous Records
"(1)
"(2)
"(A) the number of records that the State or Federal agency removed from the national instant criminal background check system established under section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (
"(B) why the records were removed; and
"(C) for each record removed, the nature of the disqualifying characteristic outlined in subsection (d), (g), or (n) of
Destruction of Identifying Information for Persons Not Prohibited From Possessing or Receiving Firearms
"(1) the implementation of any tax or fee in connection with the implementation of subsection [sic] 922(t) of
"(2) any system to implement subsection [sic] 922(t) of
Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation acts:
Identification of Felons and Other Persons Ineligible To Purchase Handguns
"(a)
"(b)
"(c)
"(d)
Executive Documents
Tracing of Firearms in Connection With Criminal Investigations
Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan. 16, 2013, 78 F.R. 4301, provided:
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Reducing violent crime, and gun-related crime in particular, is a top priority of my Administration. A key component of this effort is ensuring that law enforcement agencies at all levels—Federal, State, and local—utilize those tools that have proven most effective. One such tool is firearms tracing, which significantly assists law enforcement in reconstructing the transfer and movement of seized or recovered firearms. Responsibility for conducting firearms tracing rests with the Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Over the years, firearms tracing has significantly assisted law enforcement in solving violent crimes and generating thousands of leads that may otherwise not have been available.
Firearms tracing provides two principal benefits. First, tracing is an important investigative tool in individual cases, providing law enforcement agents with critical information that may lead to the apprehension of suspects, the recovery of other guns used in the commission of crimes, and the identification of potential witnesses, among other things. Second, analysis of tracing data in the aggregate provides valuable intelligence about local, regional, and national patterns relating to the movement and sources of guns used in the commission of crimes, which is useful for the effective deployment of law enforcement resources and development of enforcement strategies. Firearms tracing is a particularly valuable tool in detecting and investigating firearms trafficking, and has been deployed to help combat the pernicious problem of firearms trafficking across the Southwest border.
The effectiveness of firearms tracing as a law enforcement intelligence tool depends on the quantity and quality of information and trace requests submitted to ATF. In fiscal year 2012, ATF processed approximately 345,000 crime-gun trace requests for thousands of domestic and international law enforcement agencies. The Federal Government can encourage State and local law enforcement agencies to take advantage of the benefits of tracing all recovered firearms, but Federal law enforcement agencies should have an obligation to do so. If Federal law enforcement agencies do not conscientiously trace every firearm taken into custody, they may not only be depriving themselves of critical information in specific cases, but may also be depriving all Federal, State, and local agencies of the value of complete information for aggregate analyses.
Maximizing the effectiveness of firearms tracing, and the corresponding impact on combating violent crimes involving firearms, requires that Federal law enforcement agencies trace all recovered firearms taken into Federal custody in a timely and efficient manner.
Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
(b) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum, ATF will issue guidance to Federal law enforcement agencies on submitting firearms trace requests.
(c) Within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, Federal law enforcement agencies shall ensure that their operational protocols reflect the requirement to trace recovered firearms through ATF.
(d) Within 90 days of the date of this memorandum, each Federal law enforcement agency shall submit a report to the Attorney General affirming that its operational protocols reflect the requirements set forth in this memorandum.
(e) For purposes of this memorandum, "Federal law enforcement agencies" means the Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, the Interior, Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security, and such other agencies and offices that regularly recover firearms in the course of their criminal investigations as the President may designate.
(b) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Barack Obama.
Promoting Smart Gun Technology
Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan. 4, 2016, 81 F.R. 719, provided:
Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense[,] the Attorney General[, and] the Secretary of Homeland Security
For more than 20 years, the Federal Government has worked to keep guns out of the wrong hands through background checks. This critical effort in addressing gun violence has prevented more than two million prohibited firearms purchases from being completed. But tens of thousands of people are still injured or killed by firearms every year—in many cases by guns that were sold legally but then stolen, misused, or discharged accidentally. Developing and promoting technology that would help prevent these tragedies is an urgent priority.
In 2013, I directed the Department of Justice to review the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies, such as devices requiring a scan of the owner's fingerprint before a gun can fire. In its report, the Department made clear that technological advancements in this area could help reduce accidental deaths and the use of stolen guns in criminal activities.
Millions of dollars have already been invested to support research into a broad range of concepts for improving gun safety. We must all do our part to continue to advance this research and encourage its practical application, and it is possible to do so in a way that makes the public safer and is consistent with the Second Amendment. The Federal Government has a unique opportunity to do so, as it is the single largest purchaser of firearms in the country. Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
Barack Obama.
§40902. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Approximately 916,000 individuals were prohibited from purchasing a firearm for failing a background check between November 30, 1998, (the date the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) began operating) and December 31, 2004.
(2) From November 30, 1998, through December 31, 2004, nearly 49,000,000 Brady background checks were processed through NICS.
(3) Although most Brady background checks are processed through NICS in seconds, many background checks are delayed if the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) does not have automated access to complete information from the States concerning persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under Federal or State law.
(4) Nearly 21,000,000 criminal records are not accessible by NICS and millions of criminal records are missing critical data, such as arrest dispositions, due to data backlogs.
(5) The primary cause of delay in NICS background checks is the lack of—
(A) updates and available State criminal disposition records; and
(B) automated access to information concerning persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm because of mental illness, restraining orders, or misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence.
(6) Automated access to this information can be improved by—
(A) computerizing information relating to criminal history, criminal dispositions, mental illness, restraining orders, and misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence; or
(B) making such information available to NICS in a usable format.
(7) Helping States to automate these records will reduce delays for law-abiding gun purchasers.
(8) On March 12, 2002, the senseless shooting, which took the lives of a priest and a parishioner at the Our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook, New York, brought attention to the need to improve information-sharing that would enable Federal and State law enforcement agencies to conduct a complete background check on a potential firearm purchaser. The man who committed this double murder had a prior disqualifying mental health commitment and a restraining order against him, but passed a Brady background check because NICS did not have the necessary information to determine that he was ineligible to purchase a firearm under Federal or State law.
(9) On April 16, 2007, a student with a history of mental illness at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shot to death 32 students and faculty members, wounded 17 more, and then took his own life. The shooting, the deadliest campus shooting in United States history, renewed the need to improve information-sharing that would enable Federal and State law enforcement agencies to conduct complete background checks on potential firearms purchasers. In spite of a proven history of mental illness, the shooter was able to purchase the two firearms used in the shooting. Improved coordination between State and Federal authorities could have ensured that the shooter's disqualifying mental health information was available to NICS.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
§40903. Definitions
As used in this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) Court order
The term "court order" includes a court order (as described in
(2) Mental health terms
The terms "adjudicated as a mental defective" and "committed to a mental institution" have the same meanings as in
(3) Misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
The term "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" has the meaning given the term in
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
SUBCHAPTER I—TRANSMITTAL OF RECORDS
§40911. Enhancement of requirement that Federal departments and agencies provide relevant information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
(a) Omitted
(b) Provision and maintenance of NICS records
(1) Department of Homeland Security
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make available to the Attorney General—
(A) records, updated not less than quarterly, which are relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
(B) information regarding all the persons described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph who have changed their status to a category not identified under
(2) Department of Defense
(A) In general
Not later than 3 business days after the final disposition of a judicial proceeding conducted within the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense shall make available to the Attorney General records which are relevant to a determination of whether a member of the Armed Forces involved in such proceeding is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
(B) Judicial proceeding defined
In this paragraph, the term "judicial proceeding" means a hearing—
(i) of which the person received actual notice; and
(ii) at which the person had an opportunity to participate with counsel.
(3) Department of Justice
The Attorney General shall—
(A) ensure that any information submitted to, or maintained by, the Attorney General under this section is kept accurate and confidential, as required by the laws, regulations, policies, or procedures governing the applicable record system;
(B) provide for the timely removal and destruction of obsolete and erroneous names and information from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and
(C) work with States to encourage the development of computer systems, which would permit electronic notification to the Attorney General when—
(i) a court order has been issued, lifted, or otherwise removed by order of the court; or
(ii) a person has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution.
(c) Standard for adjudications and commitments related to mental health
(1) In general
No department or agency of the Federal Government may provide to the Attorney General any record of an adjudication related to the mental health of a person or any commitment of a person to a mental institution if—
(A) the adjudication or commitment, respectively, has been set aside or expunged, or the person has otherwise been fully released or discharged from all mandatory treatment, supervision, or monitoring;
(B) the person has been found by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority to no longer suffer from the mental health condition that was the basis of the adjudication or commitment, respectively, or has otherwise been found to be rehabilitated through any procedure available under law; or
(C) the adjudication or commitment, respectively, is based solely on a medical finding of disability, without an opportunity for a hearing by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority, and the person has not been adjudicated as a mental defective consistent with
(2) Treatment of certain adjudications and commitments
(A) Program for relief from disabilities
(i) In general
Each department or agency of the United States that makes any adjudication related to the mental health of a person or imposes any commitment to a mental institution, as described in subsection (d)(4) and (g)(4) of
(ii) Process
Each application for relief submitted under the program required by this subparagraph shall be processed not later than 365 days after the receipt of the application. If a Federal department or agency fails to resolve an application for relief within 365 days for any reason, including a lack of appropriated funds, the department or agency shall be deemed for all purposes to have denied such request for relief without cause. Judicial review of any petitions brought under this clause shall be de novo.
(iii) Judicial review
Relief and judicial review with respect to the program required by this subparagraph shall be available according to the standards prescribed in
(B) Relief from disabilities
In the case of an adjudication related to the mental health of a person or a commitment of a person to a mental institution, a record of which may not be provided to the Attorney General under paragraph (1), including because of the absence of a finding described in subparagraph (C) of such paragraph, or from which a person has been granted relief under a program established under subparagraph (A) or (B), or because of a removal of a record under
(3) Notice requirement
Effective 30 days after January 8, 2008, any Federal department or agency that conducts proceedings to adjudicate a person as a mental defective under 922(d)(4) or 922(g)(4) of title 18 shall provide both oral and written notice to the individual at the commencement of the adjudication process including—
(A) notice that should the agency adjudicate the person as a mental defective, or should the person be committed to a mental institution, such adjudication, when final, or such commitment, will prohibit the individual from purchasing, possessing, receiving, shipping or transporting a firearm or ammunition under section 922(d)(4) or
(B) information about the penalties imposed for unlawful possession, receipt, shipment or transportation of a firearm under
(C) information about the availability of relief from the disabilities imposed by Federal laws with respect to the acquisition, receipt, transfer, shipment, transportation, or possession of firearms.
(4) Effective date
Except for paragraph (3), this subsection shall apply to names and other information provided before, on, or after January 8, 2008. Any name or information provided in violation of this subsection (other than in violation of paragraph (3)) before, on, or after such date shall be removed from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section is comprised of section 101 of
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Amendments
2021—Subsec. (b)(2), (3).
Executive Documents
Improving Availability of Relevant Executive Branch Records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
Memorandum of President of the United States, Jan. 16, 2013, 78 F.R. 4297, provided:
Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies
Since it became operational in 1998, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has been an essential tool in the effort to ensure that individuals who are prohibited under Federal or State law from possessing firearms do not acquire them from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs). The ability of the NICS to determine quickly and effectively whether an individual is prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm depends on the completeness and accuracy of the information made available to it by Federal, State, and tribal authorities.
The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA) (
Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:
(b) Within 60 days of issuance of guidance pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall submit a report to DOJ advising whether they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance, and setting forth an implementation plan for making information in those records available to the NICS, consistent with applicable law.
(c) In accordance with the authority and responsibility provided to the Attorney General by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (
(d) To the extent they possess relevant records, as set forth in the guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall prioritize making those records available to the NICS on a regular and ongoing basis.
(i) the relevant records possessed by the agency that can be shared with the NICS consistent with applicable law;
(ii) the number of those records submitted to databases accessible by the NICS during each reporting period;
(iii) the efforts made to increase the percentage of relevant records possessed by the agency that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;
(iv) any obstacles to increasing the percentage of records that are submitted to databases accessible by the NICS;
(v) for agencies that make qualifying adjudications related to the mental health of a person, the measures put in place to provide notice and programs for relief from disabilities as required under the NIAA;
(vi) the measures put in place to correct, modify, or remove records accessible by the NICS when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies; and
(vii) additional steps that will be taken within 1 year of the report to improve the processes by which records are identified, made accessible, and corrected, modified, or removed.
(b) If an agency certifies in its annual report that it has made available to the NICS its relevant records that can be shared consistent with applicable law, and describes its plan to make new records available to the NICS and to update, modify, or remove existing records electronically no less often than quarterly as required by the NIAA, such agency will not be required to submit further annual reports. Instead, the agency will be required to submit an annual certification to DOJ, attesting that the agency continues to submit relevant records and has corrected, modified, or removed appropriate records.
(a) Membership. In addition to the Chair, the Working Group shall consist of representatives of the following agencies:
(i) the Department of Defense;
(ii) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(iii) the Department of Transportation;
(iv) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(v) the Department of Homeland Security;
(vi) the Social Security Administration;
(vii) the Office of Personnel Management;
(viii) the Office of Management and Budget; and
(ix) such other agencies or offices as the Chair may designate.
(b) Functions. The Working Group shall convene regularly and as needed to allow for consultation and coordination between DOJ and agencies affected by the Attorney General's implementation of the NIAA, including with respect to the guidance required by section 1(a) of this memorandum, subsequent decisions about whether an agency possesses relevant records, and determinations concerning whether relevant records should be provided to the NICS. The Working Group may also consider, as appropriate:
(i) developing means and methods for identifying agency records deemed relevant by DOJ's guidance;
(ii) addressing obstacles faced by agencies in making their relevant records available to the NICS;
(iii) implementing notice and relief from disabilities programs; and
(iv) ensuring means to correct, modify, or remove records when the basis under which the record was made available no longer applies.
(c) Reporting. The Working Group will review the annual reports required by section 2(a) of this memorandum, and member agencies may append to the reports any material they deem appropriate, including an identification of any agency best practices that may be of assistance to States in supplying records to the NICS.
(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with the requirements of this memorandum.
Barack Obama.
§40912. Requirements to obtain waiver
(a) In general
Beginning 3 years after January 8, 2008, a State shall be eligible to receive a waiver of the 10 percent matching requirement for National Criminal History Improvement Grants under
(b) State estimates
(1) Initial state estimate
(A) In general
To assist the Attorney General in making a determination under subsection (a) of this section, and under
(B) Failure to provide initial estimate
A State that fails to provide an estimate described in subparagraph (A) by the date required under such subparagraph shall be ineligible to receive any funds under
(C) Record defined
For purposes of subparagraph (A), a record is the following:
(i) A record that identifies a person who has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year.
(ii) A record that identifies a person for whom an indictment has been returned for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year that is valid under the laws of the State involved or who is a fugitive from justice, as of the date of the estimate, and for which a record of final disposition is not available.
(iii) A record that identifies a person who is an unlawful user of, or addicted to a controlled substance (as such terms "unlawful user" and "addicted" are respectively defined in regulations implementing
(iv) A record that identifies a person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution, consistent with
(v) A record that is electronically available and that identifies a person who, as of the date of such estimate, is subject to a court order described in
(vi) A record that is electronically available and that identifies a person convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, as defined in
(2) Scope
The Attorney General, in determining the compliance of a State under this section or
(3) Clarification
Notwithstanding paragraph (2), States shall endeavor to provide the National Instant Criminal Background Check System with all records concerning persons who are prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
(c) Eligibility of State records for submission to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
(1) Requirements for eligibility
(A) In general
From the information collected by a State, the State shall make electronically available to the Attorney General records relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
(B) NICS updates
The State, on being made aware that the basis under which a record was made available under subparagraph (A) does not apply, or no longer applies, shall, as soon as practicable—
(i) update, correct, modify, or remove the record from any database that the Federal or State government maintains and makes available to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, consistent with the rules pertaining to that database; and
(ii) notify the Attorney General that such basis no longer applies so that the record system in which the record is maintained is kept up to date.
The Attorney General upon receiving notice pursuant to clause (ii) shall ensure that the record in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System is updated, corrected, modified, or removed within 30 days of receipt.
(C) Certification
To remain eligible for a waiver under subsection (a), a State shall certify to the Attorney General, not less than once during each 2-year period, that at least 90 percent of all records described in subparagraph (A) has been made electronically available to the Attorney General in accordance with subparagraph (A).
(D) Inclusion of all records
For purposes of this paragraph, a State shall identify and include all of the records described under subparagraph (A) without regard to the age of the record.
(2) Application to persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
The State shall make available to the Attorney General, for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, records relevant to a determination of whether a person has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. With respect to records relating to such crimes, the State shall provide information specifically describing the offense and the specific section or subsection of the offense for which the defendant has been convicted and the relationship of the defendant to the victim in each case.
(3) Application to persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution
The State shall make available to the Attorney General, for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the name and other relevant identifying information of persons adjudicated as a mental defective or those committed to mental institutions to assist the Attorney General in enforcing
(d) Privacy protections
For any information provided to the Attorney General for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, relating to persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under
(e) Attorney General report
Not later than January 31 of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of States in automating the databases containing the information described in subsection (b) and in making that information electronically available to the Attorney General pursuant to the requirements of subsection (c).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (a).
Subsec. (b)(1)(B).
§40913. Implementation assistance to States
(a) Authorization
(1) In general
From amounts made available to carry out this section and subject to
(2) Grants to Indian tribes
Up to 5 percent of the grant funding available under this section may be reserved for Indian tribal governments, including tribal judicial systems.
(b) Use of grant amounts
Grants awarded to States or Indian tribes under this section may only be used to—
(1) create electronic systems, which provide accurate and up-to-date information which is directly related to checks under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (referred to in this section as "NICS"), including court disposition and corrections records;
(2) assist States in establishing or enhancing their own capacities to perform NICS background checks;
(3) supply accurate and timely information to the Attorney General concerning final dispositions of criminal records to databases accessed by NICS, including through increased efforts to pre-validate the contents of those records to expedite eligibility determinations;
(4) supply accurate and timely information to the Attorney General concerning the identity of persons who are prohibited from obtaining a firearm under
(5) supply accurate and timely court orders and records of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence for inclusion in Federal and State law enforcement databases used to conduct NICS background checks;
(6) collect and analyze data needed to demonstrate levels of State compliance with this chapter; and
(7) maintain the relief from disabilities program in accordance with
(c) Eligibility
To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall certify, to the satisfaction of the Attorney General, that the State has implemented a relief from disabilities program in accordance with
(d) Condition
As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a State shall specify the projects for which grant amounts will be used, and shall use such amounts only as specified. A State that violates this subsection shall be liable to the Attorney General for the full amount of the grant received under this section.
(e) Authorization of appropriations
(1) In general
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $250,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2013, and $125,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022.
(2) Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative
(A) Establishment
For each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, the Attorney General shall create a priority area under the NICS Act Record Improvement Program (commonly known as "NARIP") for a Domestic Abuse and Violence Prevention Initiative that emphasizes the need for grantees to identify and upload all felony conviction records and domestic violence records.
(B) Funding
The Attorney General—
(i) may use not more than 50 percent of the amounts made available under this subsection for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022 to carry out the initiative described in subparagraph (A); and
(ii) shall give a funding preference under NARIP to States that—
(I) have established an implementation plan under
(II) will use amounts made available under this subparagraph to improve efforts to identify and upload all felony conviction records and domestic violence records described in clauses (i), (v), and (vi) of
(f) User fee
The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall not charge a user fee for background checks pursuant to
(g) Technical assistance
The Attorney General shall direct the Office of Justice Programs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to—
(1) assist States that are not currently eligible for grants under this section to achieve compliance with all eligibility requirements; and
(2) provide technical assistance and training services to grantees under this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (b)(3).
Subsec. (e)(1).
Subsec. (e)(2).
Subsec. (g).
§40914. Penalties for noncompliance
(a) Attorney General report
(1) In general
Not later than January 31 of each year, the Attorney General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the States in automating the databases containing information described under
(2) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Justice, such funds as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (1).
(b) Penalties
(1) Discretionary reduction
(A) During the 2-year period beginning 3 years after January 8, 2008, the Attorney General may withhold not more than 3 percent of the amount that would otherwise be allocated to a State under
(B) During the 5-year period after the expiration of the period referred to in subparagraph (A), the Attorney General may withhold not more than 4 percent of the amount that would otherwise be allocated to a State under
(2) Mandatory reduction
After the expiration of the periods referred to in paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall withhold 5 percent of the amount that would otherwise be allocated to a State under
(3) Waiver by Attorney General
The Attorney General may waive the applicability of paragraph (2) to a State if the State provides substantial evidence, as determined by the Attorney General, that the State is making a reasonable effort to comply with the requirements of
(c) Reallocation
Any funds that are not allocated to a State because of the failure of the State to comply with the requirements of this chapter shall be reallocated to States that meet such requirements.
(d) Methodology
The method established to calculate the number of records to be reported, as set forth in
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
§40915. Relief from disabilities program required as condition for participation in grant programs
(a) Program described
A relief from disabilities program is implemented by a State in accordance with this section if the program—
(1) permits a person who, pursuant to State law, has been adjudicated as described in subsection (g)(4) of
(2) provides that a State court, board, commission, or other lawful authority shall grant the relief, pursuant to State law and in accordance with the principles of due process, if the circumstances regarding the disabilities referred to in paragraph (1), and the person's record and reputation, are such that the person will not be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not be contrary to the public interest; and
(3) permits a person whose application for the relief is denied to file a petition with the State court of appropriate jurisdiction for a de novo judicial review of the denial.
(b) Authority to provide relief from certain disabilities with respect to firearms
If, under a State relief from disabilities program implemented in accordance with this section, an application for relief referred to in subsection (a)(1) of this section is granted with respect to an adjudication or a commitment to a mental institution or based upon a removal of a record under
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
§40916. Illegal immigrant gun purchase notification
(a) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law or of this chapter, all records obtained by the National Instant Criminal Background Check system relevant to whether an individual is prohibited from possessing a firearm because such person is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States shall be made available to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
(b) Regulations
The Attorney General, at his or her discretion, shall promulgate guidelines relevant to what records relevant to illegal aliens shall be provided pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
§40917. Implementation plan
(a) In general
Not later than 1 year after March 23, 2018, the Attorney General, in coordination with the States and Indian tribal governments, shall establish, for each State or Indian tribal government, a plan to ensure maximum coordination and automation of the reporting or making available of appropriate records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System established under
(b) Benchmark requirements
Each plan established under this section shall include annual benchmarks to enable the Attorney General to assess the implementation of the plan, including—
(1) qualitative goals and quantitative measures; and
(2) a needs assessment, including estimated compliance costs.
(c) Compliance determination
Not later than the end of each fiscal year beginning after the date of the establishment of an implementation plan under this section, the Attorney General shall determine whether each State or Indian tribal government has achieved substantial compliance with the benchmarks included in the plan.
(d) Accountability
The Attorney General—
(1) shall disclose and publish, including on the website of the Department of Justice—
(A) the name of each State or Indian tribal government that received a determination of failure to achieve substantial compliance with an implementation plan under subsection (c) for the preceding fiscal year; and
(B) a description of the reasons for which the Attorney General has determined that the State or Indian tribal government is not in substantial compliance with the implementation plan, including, to the greatest extent possible, a description of the types and amounts of records that have not been submitted; and
(2) if a State or Indian tribal government described in paragraph (1) subsequently receives a determination of substantial compliance, shall—
(A) immediately correct the applicable record; and
(B) not later than 3 days after the determination, remove the record from the website of the Department of Justice and any other location where the record was published.
(e) Incentives
For each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, the Attorney General shall give affirmative preference to all Bureau of Justice Assistance discretionary grant applications of a State or Indian tribal government that received a determination of substantial compliance under subsection (c) for the fiscal year in which the grant was solicited.
(
1 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.
SUBCHAPTER II—FOCUSING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF RELEVANT RECORDS
§40931. Continuing evaluations
(a) Evaluation required
The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (referred to in this section as the "Director") shall study and evaluate the operations of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Such study and evaluation shall include compilations and analyses of the operations and record systems of the agencies and organizations necessary to support such System.
(b) Report on grants
Not later than January 31 of each year, the Director shall submit to Congress a report containing the estimates submitted by the States under
(c) Report on best practices
Not later than January 31 of each year, the Director shall submit to Congress, and to each State participating in the National Criminal History Improvement Program, a report of the practices of the States regarding the collection, maintenance, automation, and transmittal of information relevant to determining whether a person is prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm by Federal or State law, by the State or any other agency, or any other records relevant to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, that the Director considers to be best practices.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to complete the studies, evaluations, and reports required under this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
SUBCHAPTER III—GRANTS TO STATE COURT SYSTEMS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATION AND TRANSMITTAL OF DISPOSITION RECORDS
§40941. Disposition records automation and transmittal improvement grants
(a) Grants authorized
From amounts made available to carry out this section, the Attorney General shall make grants to each State, consistent with State plans for the integration, automation, and accessibility of criminal history records, for use by the State court system to improve the automation and transmittal of criminal history dispositions, records relevant to determining whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments, to Federal and State record repositories in accordance with
(b) Grants to Indian tribes
Up to 5 percent of the grant funding available under this section may be reserved for Indian tribal governments for use by Indian tribal judicial systems.
(c) Use of funds
Amounts granted under this section shall be used by the State court system only—
(1) to carry out, as necessary, assessments of the capabilities of the courts of the State for the automation and transmission of arrest and conviction records, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments to Federal and State record repositories; and
(2) to implement policies, systems, and procedures for the automation and transmission of arrest and conviction records, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments to Federal and State record repositories.
(d) Eligibility
To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State shall certify, to the satisfaction of the Attorney General, that the State has implemented a relief from disabilities program in accordance with
(e) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section $62,500,000 for fiscal year 2009, $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, $62,500,000 for fiscal year 2012, and $62,500,000 for fiscal year 2013.
(
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Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
CHAPTER 411 —ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY AND IDENTIFICATION RECORDS
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Regulations
§41101. Funds for exchange of identification records
The funds provided for Salaries and Expenses, Federal Bureau of Investigation, may be used hereafter, in addition to those uses authorized thereunder, for the exchange of identification records with officials or federally chartered or insured banking institutions to promote or maintain the security of those institutions, and, if authorized by State or Tribal statute and approved by the Attorney General, to officials of State, Tribal, and local governments for purposes of employment and licensing, any such exchange to be made only for the official use of any such official and subject to the same restriction with respect to dissemination as that provided for under the aforementioned appropriation.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is from the Department of Justice Appropriation Act, 1973, and also from the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1973.
Amendments
2022—
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by
§41102. Parimutuel licensing simplification
(a) In general
An association of State officials regulating parimutuel wagering, designated for the purpose of this section by the Attorney General, may submit fingerprints to the Attorney General on behalf of any applicant for State license to participate in parimutuel wagering. In response to such a submission, the Attorney General may, to the extent provided by law, exchange, for licensing and employment purposes, identification and criminal history records with the State governmental bodies to which such applicant has applied.
(b) Definition
As used in this section, the term "State" means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the United States.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Effective Date
§41103. Processing of name checks and background records for noncriminal employment, licensing, and humanitarian purposes by INTERPOL
For fiscal year 1990 and hereafter the Chief, United States National Central Bureau, INTERPOL, may establish and collect fees to process name checks and background records for noncriminal employment, licensing, and humanitarian purposes and, notwithstanding the provisions of
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is from the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 1990, and also from the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1990.
§41104. Processing of fingerprint identification records and name checks by FBI
For fiscal year 1991 and hereafter the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may establish and collect fees to process fingerprint identification records and name checks for non-criminal justice, non-law enforcement employment and licensing purposes and for certain employees of private sector contractors with classified Government contracts, and notwithstanding the provisions of
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is from the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 1991, and also from the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1991.
Amendment by
Amendments
1996—
§41105. Criminal background checks for applicants for employment in nursing facilities and home health care agencies
(a)(1) A nursing facility or home health care agency may submit a request to the Attorney General to conduct a search and exchange of records described in subsection (b) regarding an applicant for employment if the employment position is involved in direct patient care.
(2) A nursing facility or home health care agency requesting a search and exchange of records under this section shall submit to the Attorney General through the appropriate State agency or agency designated by the Attorney General a copy of an employment applicant's fingerprints, a statement signed by the applicant authorizing the nursing facility or home health care agency to request the search and exchange of records, and any other identification information not more than 7 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays under
(b) Pursuant to any submission that complies with the requirements of subsection (a), the Attorney General shall search the records of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for any criminal history records corresponding to the fingerprints or other identification information submitted. The Attorney General shall provide any corresponding information resulting from the search to the appropriate State agency or agency designated by the Attorney General to receive such information.
(c) Information regarding an applicant for employment in a nursing facility or home health care agency obtained pursuant to this section may be used only by the facility or agency requesting the information and only for the purpose of determining the suitability of the applicant for employment by the facility or agency in a position involved in direct patient care.
(d) The Attorney General may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed $50 per request, to any nursing facility or home health care agency requesting a search and exchange of records pursuant to this section.
(e) Not later than 2 years after October 21, 1998, the Attorney General shall submit a report to Congress on the number of requests for searches and exchanges of records made under this section by nursing facilities and home health care agencies and the disposition of such requests.
(f) Whoever knowingly uses any information obtained pursuant to this section for a purpose other than as authorized under subsection (c) shall be fined in accordance with title 18, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
(g) A nursing facility or home health care agency that, in denying employment for an applicant, reasonably relies upon information provided by the Attorney General pursuant to this section shall not be liable in any action brought by the applicant based on the employment determination resulting from the incompleteness or inaccuracy of the information.
(h) The Attorney General may promulgate such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section, including regulations regarding the security, confidentiality, accuracy, use, destruction, and dissemination of information, audits and recordkeeping, the imposition of fees, and any necessary modifications to the definitions contained in subsection (i).
(i) In this section:
(1) The term "home health care agency" means an agency that provides home health care or personal care services on a visiting basis in a place of residence.
(2) The term "nursing facility" means a facility or institution (or a distinct part of an institution) that is primarily engaged in providing to residents of the facility or institution nursing care, including skilled nursing care, and related services for individuals who require medical or nursing care.
(j) This section shall apply without fiscal year limitation.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41106. Reviews of criminal records of applicants for private security officer employment
(a) Short title
This section may be cited as the "Private Security Officer Employment Authorization Act of 2004".
(b) Findings
Congress finds that—
(1) employment of private security officers in the United States is growing rapidly;
(2) private security officers function as an adjunct to, but not a replacement for, public law enforcement by helping to reduce and prevent crime;
(3) such private security officers protect individuals, property, and proprietary information, and provide protection to such diverse operations as banks, hospitals, research and development centers, manufacturing facilities, defense and aerospace contractors, high technology businesses, nuclear power plants, chemical companies, oil and gas refineries, airports, communication facilities and operations, office complexes, schools, residential properties, apartment complexes, gated communities, and others;
(4) sworn law enforcement officers provide significant services to the citizens of the United States in its public areas, and are supplemented by private security officers;
(5) the threat of additional terrorist attacks requires cooperation between public and private sectors and demands professional, reliable, and responsible security officers for the protection of people, facilities, and institutions;
(6) the trend in the Nation toward growth in such security services has accelerated rapidly;
(7) such growth makes available more public sector law enforcement officers to combat serious and violent crimes, including terrorism;
(8) the American public deserves the employment of qualified, well-trained private security personnel as an adjunct to sworn law enforcement officers; and
(9) private security officers and applicants for private security officer positions should be thoroughly screened and trained.
(c) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Employee
The term "employee" includes both a current employee and an applicant for employment as a private security officer.
(2) Authorized employer
The term "authorized employer" means any person that—
(A) employs private security officers; and
(B) is authorized by regulations promulgated by the Attorney General to request a criminal history record information search of an employee through a State identification bureau pursuant to this section.
(3) Private security officer
The term "private security officer"—
(A) means an individual other than an employee of a Federal, State, or local government, whose primary duty is to perform security services, full or part time, for consideration, whether armed or unarmed and in uniform or plain clothes (except for services excluded from coverage under this section if the Attorney General determines by regulation that such exclusion would serve the public interest); but
(B) does not include—
(i) employees whose duties are primarily internal audit or credit functions;
(ii) employees of electronic security system companies acting as technicians or monitors; or
(iii) employees whose duties primarily involve the secure movement of prisoners.
(4) Security services
The term "security services" means acts to protect people or property as defined by regulations promulgated by the Attorney General.
(5) State identification bureau
The term "State identification bureau" means the State entity designated by the Attorney General for the submission and receipt of criminal history record information.
(d) Criminal history record information search
(1) In general
(A) Submission of fingerprints
An authorized employer may submit to the State identification bureau of a participating State, fingerprints or other means of positive identification, as determined by the Attorney General, of an employee of such employer for purposes of a criminal history record information search pursuant to this section.
(B) Employee rights
(i) Permission
An authorized employer shall obtain written consent from an employee to submit to the State identification bureau of the participating State the request to search the criminal history record information of the employee under this section.
(ii) Access
An authorized employer shall provide to the employee confidential access to any information relating to the employee received by the authorized employer pursuant to this section.
(C) Providing information to the State identification bureau
Upon receipt of a request for a criminal history record information search from an authorized employer pursuant to this section, submitted through the State identification bureau of a participating State, the Attorney General shall—
(i) search the appropriate records of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and
(ii) promptly provide any resulting identification and criminal history record information to the submitting State identification bureau requesting the information.
(D) Use of information
(i) In general
Upon receipt of the criminal history record information from the Attorney General by the State identification bureau, the information shall be used only as provided in clause (ii).
(ii) Terms
In the case of—
(I) a participating State that has no State standards for qualification to be a private security officer, the State shall notify an authorized employer as to the fact of whether an employee has been—
(aa) convicted of a felony, an offense involving dishonesty or a false statement if the conviction occurred during the previous 10 years, or an offense involving the use or attempted use of physical force against the person of another if the conviction occurred during the previous 10 years; or
(bb) charged with a criminal felony for which there has been no resolution during the preceding 365 days; or
(II) a participating State that has State standards for qualification to be a private security officer, the State shall use the information received pursuant to this section in applying the State standards and shall only notify the employer of the results of the application of the State standards.
(E) Frequency of requests
An authorized employer may request a criminal history record information search for an employee only once every 12 months of continuous employment by that employee unless the authorized employer has good cause to submit additional requests.
(2) Regulations
Not later than 180 days after December 17, 2004, the Attorney General shall issue such final or interim final regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section, including—
(A) measures relating to the security, confidentiality, accuracy, use, submission, dissemination, destruction of information and audits, and record keeping;
(B) standards for qualification as an authorized employer; and
(C) the imposition of reasonable fees necessary for conducting the background checks.
(3) Criminal penalties for use of information
Whoever knowingly and intentionally uses any information obtained pursuant to this section other than for the purpose of determining the suitability of an individual for employment as a private security officer shall be fined under title 18, or imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
(4) User fees
(A) In general
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation may—
(i) collect fees to process background checks provided for by this section; and
(ii) establish such fees at a level to include an additional amount to defray expenses for the automation of fingerprint identification and criminal justice information services and associated costs.
(B) Limitations
Any fee collected under this subsection—
(i) shall, consistent with
(ii) shall be available for expenditure only to pay the costs of such activities and services; and
(iii) shall remain available until expended.
(C) State costs
Nothing in this section shall be construed as restricting the right of a State to assess a reasonable fee on an authorized employer for the costs to the State of administering this section.
(5) State opt out
A State may decline to participate in the background check system authorized by this section by enacting a law or issuing an order by the Governor (if consistent with State law) providing that the State is declining to participate pursuant to this subsection.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41107. Access to the national crime information databases by tribes
(1) In general
The Attorney General shall ensure that—
(A) tribal law enforcement officials that meet applicable Federal or State requirements shall be permitted access to national crime information databases; and
(B) technical assistance and training is provided to Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal law enforcement agencies to gain access to, and the ability to use and input information into, the National Crime Information Center and other national crime information databases pursuant to
(2) Sanctions
For purpose of sanctions for noncompliance with requirements of, or misuse of, national crime information databases and information obtained from those databases, a tribal law enforcement agency or official shall be treated as Federal law enforcement agency or official.
(3) NCIC
Each tribal justice official serving an Indian tribe shall be considered to be an authorized law enforcement official for purposes of access to the National Crime Information Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is comprised of subsec. (b) of section 233 of
Amendments
2022—Par. (1).
Par. (3).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by
Definitions
For definition of "Indian tribe" used in this section, see section 203(a) of
CHAPTER 413 —CRIME REPORTS AND STATISTICS
§41301. Report to Congress on sexual exploitation of children
Beginning one hundred and twenty days after May 21, 1984, and every year thereafter, the Attorney General shall report to the Congress on prosecutions, convictions, and forfeitures under
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41302. Acquisition of statistical data on child abuse
(a) Data acquisition for 1987 and 1988
The Attorney General shall acquire from criminal justice agencies statistical data, for the calendar years 1987 and 1988, about the incidence of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, and shall publish annually a summary of such data.
(b) Modification of uniform crime reporting program
(1) As soon as practicable, but in no case later than January 1, 1989, the Attorney General shall modify the uniform crime reporting program in the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include data on the age of the victim of the offense and the relationship, if any, of the victim to the offender, for types of offenses that may involve child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
(2) The modification, once made, shall remain in effect until the later of—
(A) 10 years after the date it is made; or
(B) such ending date as may be set by the Attorney General.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41303. Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988
(a) Short title
This section may be cited as the "Uniform Federal Crime Reporting Act of 1988".
(b) Definitions
For purposes of this section, the term "Uniform Crime Reports" means the reports authorized under
(c) Establishment of system
(1) In general
The Attorney General shall acquire, collect, classify, and preserve national data on Federal criminal offenses as part of the Uniform Crime Reports.
(2) Reporting by Federal agencies
All departments and agencies within the Federal government (including the Department of Defense) which routinely investigate complaints of criminal activity, shall report details about crime within their respective jurisdiction to the Attorney General in a uniform manner and on a form prescribed by the Attorney General. The reporting required by this subsection shall be limited to the reporting of those crimes comprising the Uniform Crime Reports.
(3) Distribution of data
The Attorney General shall distribute data received pursuant to paragraph (2), not less frequently than annually, to the President, Members of the Congress, State governments, and officials of localities and penal and other institutions participating in the Uniform Crime Reports program.
(4) Interagency coordination
(A) In general
Not later than 90 days after December 21, 2018, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall coordinate with the head of each department or agency within the Federal Government that is subject to the mandatory reporting requirements under paragraph (2) for the purpose of ensuring successful implementation of paragraph (2).
(B) For report
Not later than 6 months after December 21, 2018, the head of each department or agency within the Federal Government that is subject to the mandatory reporting requirements under paragraph (2) shall provide the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation such information as the Director determines is necessary to complete the first report required under paragraph (5).
(5) Annual report by Federal Bureau of Investigation
Not later than 1 year after December 21, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report detailing the efforts of the departments and agencies within the Federal Government to come into compliance with paragraph (2). The report shall contain a list of all departments and agencies within the Federal Government subject to paragraph (2) and whether each department or agency is in compliance with paragraph (2).
(d) Role of Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Attorney General may designate the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the lead agency for purposes of performing the functions authorized by this section and may appoint or establish such advisory and oversight boards as may be necessary to assist the Bureau in ensuring uniformity, quality, and maximum use of the data collected.
(e) Inclusion of offenses involving illegal drugs
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is authorized to classify offenses involving illegal drugs and drug trafficking as a part I crime in the Uniform Crime Reports.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $350,000 for fiscal year 1989 and such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section after fiscal year 1989.
(g) Effective date
The provisions of this section shall be effective on January 1, 1989.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (c)(3).
Subsec. (c)(4), (5).
§41304. Family and domestic violence: data collection and reporting
(a) Family violence reporting
Under the authority of
(1) the age of the victim; and
(2) the relationship of the victim to the offender, for crimes of murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, rape, sexual offenses, and offenses against children.
(b) National Crime Survey
The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, through the annual National Crime Survey, shall collect and publish data that more accurately measures the extent of domestic violence in America, especially the physical and sexual abuse of children and the elderly.
(c) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated in fiscal years 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992, such sums as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41305. Hate crime statistics
(a) This Act may be cited as the "Hate Crime Statistics Act".
(b)(1) Under the authority of
(2) The Attorney General shall establish guidelines for the collection of such data including the necessary evidence and criteria that must be present for a finding of manifest prejudice and procedures for carrying out the purposes of this section.
(3) Nothing in this section creates a cause of action or a right to bring an action, including an action based on discrimination due to sexual orientation. As used in this section, the term "sexual orientation" means consensual homosexuality or heterosexuality. This subsection does not limit any existing cause of action or right to bring an action, including any action under the Administrative Procedure Act [
(4) Data acquired under this section shall be used only for research or statistical purposes and may not contain any information that may reveal the identity of an individual victim of a crime.
(5) The Attorney General shall publish an annual summary of the data acquired under this section, including data about crimes committed by, and crimes directed against, juveniles.
(c) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section through fiscal year 2002.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is
The Administrative Procedure Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is act June 11, 1946, ch. 324,
The All Writs Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), means
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Amendments
2009—Subsec. (b)(1).
Subsec. (b)(5).
1996—Subsec. (b)(1).
Subsec. (c).
1994—Subsec. (b)(1).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Findings
"(a) Congress finds that—
"(1) the American family life is the foundation of American Society,
"(2) Federal policy should encourage the well-being, financial security, and health of the American family,
"(3) schools should not de-emphasize the critical value of American family life.
"(b) Nothing in this Act [enacting this section] shall be construed, nor shall any funds appropriated to carry out the purpose of the Act be used, to promote or encourage homosexuality."
§41306. Report to Congress on banking law offenses
(a) In general
(1) Data collection
The Attorney General shall compile and collect data concerning—
(A) the nature and number of civil and criminal investigations, prosecutions, and related proceedings, and civil enforcement and recovery proceedings, in progress with respect to banking law offenses under
(B) the number of—
(i) investigations, prosecutions, and related proceedings described in subparagraph (A) which are inactive as of the close of the reporting period but have not been closed or declined; and
(ii) unaddressed referrals which allege criminal misconduct involving offenses described in subparagraph (A),
and the reasons such matters are inactive and the referrals unaddressed;
(C) the nature and number of such matters closed, settled, or litigated to conclusion; and
(D) the results achieved, including convictions and pretrial diversions, fines and penalties levied, restitution assessed and collected, and damages recovered, in such matters.
(2) Analysis and report
The Attorney General shall analyze and report to the Congress on the data described in paragraph (1) and its coordination and other related activities named in section 41501(c)(2) 1 of this title and shall provide such report on the data monthly through December 31, 1991, and quarterly after such date.
(b) Specifics of report
The report required by subsection (a) shall—
(1) categorize data as to various types of financial institutions and appropriate dollar loss categories;
(2) disclose data for each Federal judicial district;
(3) describe the activities of the Financial Institution Fraud Unit; and
(4) list—
(A) the number of institutions, categorized by failed and open institutions, in which evidence of significant fraud, unlawful activity, insider abuse or serious misconduct has been alleged or detected;
(B) civil, criminal, and administrative enforcement actions, including those of the Federal financial institutions regulatory agencies, brought against offenders;
(C) any settlements or judgments obtained against offenders;
(D) indictments, guilty pleas, or verdicts obtained against offenders; and
(E) the resources allocated in pursuit of investigations, prosecutions, and sentencings (including indictments, guilty pleas, or verdicts obtained against offenders) and related proceedings.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
1 So in original. Probably should be "41501(c)(3)".
§41307. Reporting requirement for missing children
(a) In general
Each Federal, State, and local law enforcement agency shall report each case of a missing child under the age of 21 reported to such agency to the National Crime Information Center of the Department of Justice and, consistent with section 40507 (including rules promulgated pursuant to section 40507(c)) of this title, shall also report such case, either directly or through authorization described in such section to transmit, enter, or share information on such case, to the NamUs databases.
(b) Guidelines
The Attorney General may establish guidelines for the collection of such reports including procedures for carrying out the purposes of this section and
(c) Annual summary
The Attorney General shall publish an annual statistical summary of the reports received under this section and
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This section and
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (a).
2003—Subsec. (a).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by
1 See References in Text note below.
§41308. State requirements for reporting missing children
Each State reporting under the provisions of this section and
(1) ensure that no law enforcement agency within the State establishes or maintains any policy that requires the observance of any waiting period before accepting a missing child or unidentified person report;
(2) ensure that no law enforcement agency within the State establishes or maintains any policy that requires the removal of a missing person entry from its State law enforcement system, the National Crime Information Center computer database, or the NamUs databases based solely on the age of the person;
(3) provide that each such report and all necessary and available information, which, with respect to each missing child report, shall include—
(A) the name, date of birth, sex, race, height, weight, and eye and hair color of the child;
(B) a recent photograph of the child, if available;
(C) the date and location of the last known contact with the child; and
(D) the category under which the child is reported missing;
is entered within 2 hours of receipt into the State law enforcement system, the National Crime Information Center computer networks, and the NamUs databases and made available to the Missing Children Information Clearinghouse within the State or other agency designated within the State to receive such reports; and
(4) provide that after receiving reports as provided in paragraph (3), the law enforcement agency that entered the report into the National Crime Information Center or the NamUs databases shall—
(A) no later than 30 days after the original entry of the record into the State law enforcement system, National Crime Information Center computer networks, and the NamUs databases, verify and update such record with any additional information, including, where available, medical and dental records and a photograph taken during the previous 180 days;
(B) institute or assist with appropriate search and investigative procedures;
(C) notify the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of each report received relating to a child reported missing from a foster care family home or childcare institution;
(D) maintain close liaison with State and local child welfare systems and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for the exchange of information and technical assistance in the missing children cases; and
(E) grant permission to the National Crime Information Center Terminal Contractor for the State to update the missing person record in the National Crime Information Center computer networks with additional information learned during the investigation relating to the missing person.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to
Amendments
2022—Par. (2).
Par. (3).
2022—Par. (4).
Par. (4)(A).
2015—Par. (2).
Par. (3)(B) to (D).
Par. (4).
Par. (4)(A).
Par. (4)(B), (C).
Par. (4)(D).
Par. (4)(E).
2006—
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2022 Amendment
Amendment by
§41309. Reporting on human trafficking
(a) Trafficking offense classification
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall—
(1) classify the offense of human trafficking as a Part I crime in the Uniform Crime Reports;
(2) to the extent feasible, establish subcategories for State sex crimes that involve—
(A) a person who is younger than 18 years of age;
(B) the use of force, fraud or coercion; or
(C) neither of the elements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B); and
(3) classify the offense of human trafficking as a Group A offense for purpose of the National Incident-Based Reporting System.
(b) Additional information
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall revise the Uniform Crime Reporting System 1 and the National Incident-Based Reporting System to distinguish between reports of—
(1) incidents of assisting or promoting prostitution, which shall include crimes committed by persons who—
(A) do not directly engage in commercial sex acts; and
(B) direct, manage, or profit from such acts, such as State pimping and pandering crimes;
(2) incidents of purchasing prostitution, which shall include crimes committed by persons who purchase or attempt to purchase or trade anything of value for commercial sex acts;
(3) incidents of prostitution, which shall include crimes committed by persons providing or attempting to provide commercial sex acts;
(4) incidents of assisting or promoting prostitution, child labor that is a violation of law, or forced labor of an individual under the age of 18 as described in paragraph (1); and
(5) incidents of purchasing or soliciting commercial sex acts, child labor that is a violation of law, or forced labor with an individual under the age of 18 as described in paragraph (2).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is comprised of subsecs. (a) and (b) of section 237 of
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (b)(4), (5).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Cumulative Biennial Report on Data Collection and Statistics
"(1) the study required under section 201(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (
"(2) the State reports required under section 237(b) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (
"(3) the report required under section 237(c)(1)(A) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (
"(4) the report required under section 237(c)(1)(B) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (
"(5) the report required under section 237(c)(1)(C) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (
"(6) the comprehensive study required under section 237(c)(2) of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (
1 So in original. Probably should be "Program".
§41310. Report on theft of trade secrets occurring abroad
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Director
The term "Director" means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
(2) Foreign instrumentality, etc.
The terms "foreign instrumentality", "foreign agent", and "trade secret" have the meanings given those terms in
(3) State
The term "State" includes the District of Columbia and any commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(4) United States company
The term "United States company" means an organization organized under the laws of the United States or a State or political subdivision thereof.
(b) Reports
Not later than 1 year after May 11, 2016, and biannually thereafter, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, the Director, and the heads of other appropriate agencies, shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and make publicly available on the Web site of the Department of Justice and disseminate to the public through such other means as the Attorney General may identify, a report on the following:
(1) The scope and breadth of the theft of the trade secrets of United States companies occurring outside of the United States.
(2) The extent to which theft of trade secrets occurring outside of the United States is sponsored by foreign governments, foreign instrumentalities, or foreign agents.
(3) The threat posed by theft of trade secrets occurring outside of the United States.
(4) The ability and limitations of trade secret owners to prevent the misappropriation of trade secrets outside of the United States, to enforce any judgment against foreign entities for theft of trade secrets, and to prevent imports based on theft of trade secrets overseas.
(5) A breakdown of the trade secret protections afforded United States companies by each country that is a trading partner of the United States and enforcement efforts available and undertaken in each such country, including a list identifying specific countries where trade secret theft, laws, or enforcement is a significant problem for United States companies.
(6) Instances of the Federal Government working with foreign countries to investigate, arrest, and prosecute entities and individuals involved in the theft of trade secrets outside of the United States.
(7) Specific progress made under trade agreements and treaties, including any new remedies enacted by foreign countries, to protect against theft of trade secrets of United States companies outside of the United States.
(8) Recommendations of legislative and executive branch actions that may be undertaken to—
(A) reduce the threat of and economic impact caused by the theft of the trade secrets of United States companies occurring outside of the United States;
(B) educate United States companies regarding the threats to their trade secrets when taken outside of the United States;
(C) provide assistance to United States companies to reduce the risk of loss of their trade secrets when taken outside of the United States; and
(D) provide a mechanism for United States companies to confidentially or anonymously report the theft of trade secrets occurring outside of the United States.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41311. Improving Department of Justice data collection on mental illness involved in crime
(a) In general
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on or after the date that is 90 days after the date on which the Attorney General promulgates regulations under subsection (b), any data prepared by, or submitted to, the Attorney General or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with respect to the incidences of homicides, law enforcement officers killed, seriously injured, and assaulted, or individuals killed or seriously injured by law enforcement officers shall include data with respect to the involvement of mental illness in such incidences, if any.
(b) Regulations
Not later than 90 days after December 13, 2016, the Attorney General shall promulgate or revise regulations as necessary to carry out subsection (a).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41312. Report on female genital mutilation
Not later than one year after January 5, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Education, shall submit to Congress a report that includes—
(1) an estimate of the number of women and girls in the United States at risk of or who have been subjected to female genital mutilation;
(2) the protections available and actions taken, if any, by Federal, State, and local agencies to protect such women and girls; and
(3) the actions taken by Federal agencies to educate and assist communities and key stakeholders about female genital mutilation.
(
§41313. GAO study on incidence of fatal and non-fatal physical and sexual assault of passengers, TNC drivers, and drivers of other for-hire vehicles
(a) GAO report
Not later than 1 year after January 5, 2023, and every 2 years thereafter, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report that includes the results of a study regarding—
(1) the incidence of fatal and non-fatal physical assault and sexual assault perpetrated in the preceding 2 calendar years (starting with calendar years 2019 and 2020 for the first study)—
(A) against TNC drivers and drivers of other for-hire vehicles (including taxicabs) by passengers and riders of for-hire vehicles; and
(B) against passengers and riders by other passengers and TNC drivers or drivers of other for-hire vehicles (including taxicabs), including the incidences that are committed by individuals who are not TNC drivers or drivers of other for-hire vehicles but who pose as TNC drivers or drivers of other for-hire vehicles;
(2) the nature and specifics of any background checks conducted on prospective TNC drivers and drivers of other for-hire vehicles (including taxicabs), including any State and local laws requiring those background checks; and
(3) the safety steps taken by transportation network companies and other for-hire vehicle services (including taxicab companies) related to rider and driver safety.
(b) Sexual assault defined
In this section, the term "sexual assault" means the occurrence of an act that constitutes any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by Federal, Tribal, or State law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent.
(
CHAPTER 415 —RESOURCE CENTERS, TASK FORCES, DATABASES, AND PROGRAMS
§41501. Financial institutions fraud task forces
(a) Establishment
The Attorney General shall establish such financial institutions fraud task forces as the Attorney General deems appropriate to ensure that adequate resources are made available to investigate and prosecute crimes in or against financial institutions and to recover the proceeds of unlawful activities from persons who have committed fraud or have engaged in other criminal activity in or against the financial services industry.
(b) Supervision
The Attorney General shall determine how each task force shall be supervised and may provide for the supervision of any task force by the Special Counsel.
(c) Senior interagency group
(1) Establishment
The Attorney General shall establish a senior interagency group to assist in identifying the most significant financial institution fraud cases and in allocating investigative and prosecutorial resources where they are most needed.
(2) Membership
The senior interagency group shall be chaired by the Special Counsel and shall include senior officials from—
(A) the Department of Justice, including representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys, and other relevant entities;
(B) the Department of the Treasury;
(C) the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation;
(D) the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency;
(E) the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; and
(F) the National Credit Union Administration.
(3) Duties
This senior interagency group shall enhance interagency coordination and assist in accelerating the investigations and prosecution of financial institutions fraud.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified in a note under
Amendments
2010—Subsec. (c)(2)(C) to (H).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2010 Amendment
Amendment by
§41502. Morgan P. Hardiman Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center
(a) Establishment
Not later than 90 days after the October 30, 1998, the Attorney General shall establish within the Federal Bureau of Investigation a Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center to be known as the "Morgan P. Hardiman Child Abduction and Serial Murder Investigative Resources Center" (in this section referred to as the "CASMIRC").
(b) Purpose
The CASMIRC shall be managed by the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime of the Critical Incident Response Group of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (in this section referred to as the "NCAVC"), and by multidisciplinary resource teams in Federal Bureau of Investigation field offices, in order to provide investigative support through the coordination and provision of Federal law enforcement resources, training, and application of other multidisciplinary expertise, to assist Federal, State, and local authorities in matters involving child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide, and serial murder across the country. The CASMIRC shall be co-located with the NCAVC.
(c) Duties of the CASMIRC
The CASMIRC shall perform such duties as the Attorney General determines appropriate to carry out the purposes of the CASMIRC, including—
(1) identifying, developing, researching, acquiring, and refining multidisciplinary information and specialities to provide for the most current expertise available to advance investigative knowledge and practices used in child abduction, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide, and serial murder investigations;
(2) providing advice and coordinating the application of current and emerging technical, forensic, and other Federal assistance to Federal, State, and local authorities in child abduction, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide, and serial murder investigations;
(3) providing investigative support, research findings, and violent crime analysis to Federal, State, and local authorities in child abduction, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide, and serial murder investigations;
(4) providing, if requested by a Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency, on site consultation and advice in child abduction, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide and serial murder investigations;
(5) coordinating the application of resources of pertinent Federal law enforcement agencies, and other Federal entities including, but not limited to, the United States Customs Service, the Secret Service, the Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Marshals Service, as appropriate, and with the concurrence of the agency head to support Federal, State, and local law enforcement involved in child abduction, mysterious disappearance of a child, child homicide, and serial murder investigations;
(6) conducting ongoing research related to child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicides, and serial murder, including identification and investigative application of current and emerging technologies, identification of investigative searching technologies and methods for physically locating abducted children, investigative use of offender behavioral assessment and analysis concepts, gathering statistics and information necessary for case identification, trend analysis, and case linkages to advance the investigative effectiveness of outstanding abducted children cases, develop investigative systems to identify and track serious serial offenders that repeatedly victimize children for comparison to unsolved cases, and other investigative research pertinent to child abduction, mysterious disappearance of a child, child homicide, and serial murder covered in this section;
(7) working under the NCAVC in coordination with the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice to provide appropriate training to Federal, State, and local law enforcement in matters regarding child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicides; and
(8) establishing a centralized repository based upon case data reflecting child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicides and serial murder submitted by State and local agencies, and an automated system for the efficient collection, retrieval, analysis, and reporting of information regarding CASMIRC investigative resources, research, and requests for and provision of investigative support services.
(d) Appointment of personnel to the CASMIRC
(1) Selection of members of the CASMIRC and participating State and local law enforcement personnel
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall appoint the members of the CASMIRC. The CASMIRC shall be staffed with Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel and other necessary personnel selected for their expertise that would enable them to assist in the research, data collection, and analysis, and provision of investigative support in child abduction, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicide and serial murder investigations. The Director may, with concurrence of the appropriate State or local agency, also appoint State and local law enforcement personnel to work with the CASMIRC.
(2) Status
Each member of the CASMIRC (and each individual from any State or local law enforcement agency appointed to work with the CASMIRC) shall remain as an employee of that member's or individual's respective agency for all purposes (including the purpose of performance review), and service with the CASMIRC shall be without interruption or loss of civil service privilege or status and shall be on a nonreimbursable basis, except if appropriate to reimburse State and local law enforcement for overtime costs for an individual appointed to work with the resource team. Additionally, reimbursement of travel and per diem expenses will occur for State and local law enforcement participation in resident fellowship programs at the NCAVC when offered.
(3) Training
CASMIRC personnel, under the guidance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime and in consultation with the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, shall develop a specialized course of instruction devoted to training members of the CASMIRC consistent with the purpose of this section. The CASMIRC shall also work with the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the Department of Justice to develop a course of instruction for State and local law enforcement personnel to facilitate the dissemination of the most current multidisciplinary expertise in the investigation of child abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, child homicides, and serial murder of children.
(e) Report to Congress
One year after the establishment of the CASMIRC, the Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report, which shall include—
(1) a description of the goals and activities of the CASMIRC; and
(2) information regarding—
(A) the number and qualifications of the members appointed to the CASMIRC;
(B) the provision of equipment, administrative support, and office space for the CASMIRC; and
(C) the projected resource needs for the CASMIRC.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 1999, 2000, and 2001.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Section is comprised of subsecs. (a) to (f) of section 703 of
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see
For transfer of the functions, personnel, assets, and obligations of the United States Secret Service, including the functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see
§41503. Fugitive Apprehension Task Forces
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall, upon consultation with appropriate Department of Justice and Department of the Treasury law enforcement components, establish permanent Fugitive Apprehension Task Forces consisting of Federal, State, and local law enforcement authorities in designated regions of the United States, to be directed and coordinated by the United States Marshals Service, for the purpose of locating and apprehending fugitives.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General for the United States Marshals Service to carry out the provisions of this section $30,000,000 for the fiscal year 2001, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2003, and $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
(c) Other existing applicable law
Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit any existing authority under any other provision of Federal or State law for law enforcement agencies to locate or apprehend fugitives through task forces or any other means.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2008—Subsec. (b).
§41504. Project Safe Neighborhoods
(a) In general
The Attorney General shall establish a program for each United States Attorney to provide for coordination with State and local law enforcement officials in the identification and prosecution of violations of Federal firearms laws including school gun violence and juvenile gun offenses.
(b) Authorization for hiring 94 additional Assistant United States Attorneys
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 to hire an additional Assistant United States Attorney in each United States Attorney Office.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41505. Organized retail theft database
(a) National data
(1) The Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in consultation with the retail community, shall establish a task force to combat organized retail theft and provide expertise to the retail community for the establishment of a national database or clearinghouse housed and maintained in the private sector to track and identify where organized retail theft type crimes are being committed in the United Sates.1 The national database shall allow Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials as well as authorized retail companies (and authorized associated retail databases) to transmit information into the database electronically and to review information that has been submitted electronically.
(2) The Attorney General shall make available funds to provide for the ongoing administrative and technological costs to federal law enforcement agencies participating in the database project.
(3) The Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Office of Justice Programs may make grants to help provide for the administrative and technological costs to State and local law enforcement agencies participating in the data base 2 project.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2009, $5,000,000 for educating and training federal law enforcement regarding organized retail theft, for investigating, apprehending and prosecuting individuals engaged in organized retail theft, and for working with the private sector to establish and utilize the database described in subsection (a).
(c) Definition of organized retail theft
For purposes of this section, "organized retail theft" means—
(1) the violation of a State prohibition on retail merchandise theft or shoplifting, if the violation consists of the theft of quantities of items that would not normally be purchased for personal use or consumption and for the purpose of reselling the items or for reentering the items into commerce;
(2) the receipt, possession, concealment, bartering, sale, transport, or disposal of any property that is know 3 or should be known to have been taken in violation of paragraph (1); or
(3) the coordination, organization, or recruitment of persons to undertake the conduct described in paragraph (1) or (2).
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2006—Subsec. (a)(3).
1 So in original. Probably should be "States".
2 So in original. Probably should be "database".
3 So in original. Probably should be "known".
§41506. United States-Mexico Border Violence Task Force
(a) Task Force
(1) The Attorney General shall establish the United States-Mexico Border Violence Task Force in Laredo, Texas, to combat drug and firearms trafficking, violence, and kidnapping along the border between the United States and Mexico and to provide expertise to the law enforcement and homeland security agencies along the border between the United States and Mexico. The Task Force shall include personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, other Federal agencies (as appropriate), the Texas Department of Public Safety, and local law enforcement agencies.
(2) The Attorney General shall make available funds to provide for the ongoing administrative and technological costs to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies participating in the Task Force.
(b) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009, for—
(1) the establishment and operation of the United States-Mexico Border Violence Task Force; and
(2) the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of individuals engaged in drug and firearms trafficking, violence, and kidnapping along the border between the United States and Mexico.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
§41507. National Gang Intelligence Center
(a) Establishment
The Attorney General shall establish a National Gang Intelligence Center and gang information database to be housed at and administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to collect, analyze, and disseminate gang activity information from—
(1) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(2) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
(3) the Drug Enforcement Administration;
(4) the Bureau of Prisons;
(5) the United States Marshals Service;
(6) the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security;
(7) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(8) the Office of Justice Services of the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(9) tribal, State, and local law enforcement;
(10) Federal, tribal, State, and local prosecutors;
(11) Federal, tribal, State, and local probation and parole offices;
(12) Federal, tribal, State, and local prisons and jails; and
(13) any other entity as appropriate.
(b) Information
The Center established under subsection (a) shall make available the information referred to in subsection (a) to—
(1) Federal, tribal, State, and local law enforcement agencies;
(2) Federal, tribal, State, and local corrections agencies and penal institutions;
(3) Federal, tribal, State, and local prosecutorial agencies; and
(4) any other entity as appropriate.
(c) Annual report
The Center established under subsection (a) shall annually submit to Congress a report on gang activity.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and for each fiscal year thereafter.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified as a note under
Amendments
2010—Subsec. (a)(8).
Subsec. (a)(9).
Subsec. (a)(10) to (12).
Subsec. (a)(13).
Subsec. (b).
§41508. Grants to States for threat assessment databases
(a) In general
The Attorney General, through the Office of Justice Programs, shall make grants under this section to the highest State courts in States participating in the program, for the purpose of enabling such courts to establish and maintain a threat assessment database described in subsection (b).
(b) Database
For purposes of subsection (a), a threat assessment database is a database through which a State can—
(1) analyze trends and patterns in domestic terrorism and crime;
(2) project the probabilities that specific acts of domestic terrorism or crime will occur; and
(3) develop measures and procedures that can effectively reduce the probabilities that those acts will occur.
(c) Core elements
The Attorney General shall define a core set of data elements to be used by each database funded by this section so that the information in the database can be effectively shared with other States and with the Department of Justice.
(d) Authorization of appropriations
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011.
(
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was formerly classified to