This bill, the Carla Walker Act, creates a new grant program to support forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis at state, local, and medical examiner offices. It adds a new Part PP to Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.
The bill defines "forensic analysis" and "forensic laboratory." It authorizes competitive grants to eligible entities to use whole genome sequencing technology that examines at least 100,000 genetic markers and that works with multiple genealogical databases permitted for law enforcement use. Grants may fund testing when the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) did not produce leads and for testing of unidentified human remains.
Eligible entities for testing grants include States; tribal or local law enforcement agencies; prosecutor offices with forensic lab capability; medical examiners; and coroners. Grantees may outsource testing to accredited public or nongovernmental labs, or to nongovernmental labs that legally attest they will seek accreditation within two years. Work paid by these grants must follow the Department of Justice Interim Policy on Forensic Genealogical DNA Analysis and Searching (November 1, 2019) or any successor policy.
A separate grant program funds purchase of equipment, supplies, reagents, consumables, and validation expenses to deploy forensic genetic genealogy techniques. Eligible entities for equipment grants are publicly funded and accredited forensic laboratories, medical examiners, and coroners.
The Attorney General may issue regulations to run the programs. Grant recipients must keep records, allow audits, and follow sample and data control rules referenced in the DOJ interim policy. Recipients must report within one year on funding received, number and types of cases tested, labs used, equipment, results, and time to identification. The Attorney General must report to Congress within two years about awards, practices, technologies, implementation needs, and recommendations.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.