,i #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #giaf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ab1 #bjbf,mr4 ,nehls introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to amend title #cd1 ,united ,states ,code1 to authorize eligible privately owned and operated forensic ,,dna testing laboratories to directly upload qualifying ,,dna profiles to the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,codis ,access ,modernization ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,congress recognizes the essential role that publicly operated forensic laboratories and their dedicated scientific professionals play in supporting law enforcement investigations1 administering justice1 and protecting public safety4 ,however1 increasing case volumes1 persistent ,,dna testing backlogs1 and the challenges associated with implementing emerging forensic technologies within government systems can delay the timely processing of critical evidence4 ,these delays may hinder the identification and apprehension of violent offenders1 allowing serial perpetrators of crimes such as rape and homicide to remain unidentified and potentially continue victimizing additional individuals4 ,congress further finds that strategic public-private partnerships with accredited forensic laboratories can expand testing capacity1 accelerate the processing of ,,dna evidence1 and provide access to advanced technologies and specialized expertise4 ,such partnerships can also reduce delays in ,,dna profile entry into the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system1 accelerate investigative leads1 increase case resolution rates1 reduce burdens on publicly operated laboratories1 enhance justice for victims and their families1 and help prevent future crimes4 7#b7 ,accredited private forensic ,,dna laboratories1 meeting the same ,,fbi ,quality ,assurance ,standards and ,,iso_/,,iec #agjbe requirements as public laboratories1 are currently barred from direct uploads to the ,combined ,,dna ,index ,system 7,,codis71 resulting in mandatory and costly redundant reviews that delay investigations by days to years4 7#c7 ,restricting ,,codis access to public laboratories is detrimental to national security and public safety1 as violent offenders often cross jurisdictions1 while private labs already process thousands of cases annually for ,federal1 ,state1 local1 military1 and homeland security agencies4 7#d7 ,precedent exists for non-law enforcement entities to officially perform traditional criminal justice agency functions1 including the ,department of ,justice's partnership with the ,national ,center for ,missing and ,exploited ,children 7,,ncmec7 which affords it vital access to the ,national ,crime ,information ,center 7,,ncic7 to help solve missing and unidentified children's cases across the ,united ,states4 7#e7 ,the ,united ,states ,government routinely relies on accredited private entities and government contractors to perform highly sensitive national security1 intelligence1 and law enforcement support functions1 including cybersecurity operations1 forensic analysis1 intelligence processing1 and classified systems management under strict ,federal oversight and security requirements4 ,the use of qualified private forensic laboratories to support ,,dna identification efforts represents a continuation of established ,federal practices of leveraging private sector expertise to advance public safety4 7#f7 ,accredited private forensic ,,dna laboratories already perform forensic testing for ,federal1 ,state1 local1 military1 and homeland security agencies while complying with the same ,,fbi ,quality ,assurance ,standards and ,,iso_/,,iec #agjbe accreditation requirements as public laboratories4 7#g7 ,allowing qualified private forensic ,,dna laboratories to upload qualifying ,,dna profiles to the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system under strict regulatory safeguards is consistent with longstanding ,federal practices of utilizing accredited private entities to enhance national security1 public safety1 and investigative capabilities4 7#h7 ,the societal and economic costs of unsolved violent crimes are immense1 with estimates of #abb1jjj per rape and #a4d million per murder in medical1 productivity1 legal1 and suffering-related expenses4 ,timely offender identification and apprehension also prevent future crimes as rapists commit on average more than #g sexual assaults per year4 7#i7 ,granting direct ,,codis upload authority to eligible private laboratories would accelerate case resolutions1 increase ,,dna matches and arrests1 reduce public lab burdens1 prevent additional offenses1 and advance bipartisan priorities of public safety1 victim rights1 and efficient private sector utilization4 #c4 ,direct access for eligible private forensic dna laboratories to the national dna index system 7a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general shall allow eligible privately owned and operated forensic evidence ,,dna testing laboratories to directly upload qualifying ,,dna profiles to the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system 7,,ndis74 7b7 ,regulations ,the ,department of ,justice and the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation shall issue regulations to implement and carry out this section1 including criteria for eligibility1 procedures for direct upload1 security and privacy safeguards1 and any other requirements necessary to ensure compliance with ,federal law1 not later than six months after the date of enactment4 7c7 ,limitation of authority ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to grant privately owned and operated forensic ,,dna laboratories access to search1 query1 or retrieve information from the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system beyond the authorized submission of qualifying ,,dna profiles in accordance with ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation regulations and applicable law4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,the term privately owned and operated forensic evidence ,,dna testing laboratory means a private ,,dna forensic evidence testing laboratory that-- 7,a7 has been accredited for a minimum of five consecutive years to the ,,iso_/,,iec #agjbe standards by a nationally recognized nonprofit professional association of persons actively involved in forensic science2 7,b7 undergoes external audits every two years that demonstrate compliance with the ,quality ,assurance ,standards established by the ,director of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation2 7,c7 demonstrates compliance with the limited access requirements for ,,dna samples and records in accordance with ,federal law2 7,d7 demonstrates compliance with the provisions of the ,,ndis ,memorandum of ,understanding and the ,,ndis ,operational ,procedures ,manual2 and 7,e7 is not owned or managed by a governmental organization4 7#b7 ,the term qualifying ,,dna profiles means ,,dna profiles that meet the standards and eligibility requirements for entry into the ,national ,,dna ,index ,system1 as determined by the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation4 7#c7 ,the term ,national ,,dna ,index ,system or ,,ndis means the index established under section #abeib of title #cd1 ,united ,states ,code4 #d4 ,conforming amendments ,the ,attorney ,general1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation1 shall make such conforming amendments to regulations1 policies1 and procedures 7including updates to the ,,ndis ,memorandum of ,understanding and the ,,ndis ,operational ,procedures ,manual7 as may be necessary to carry out this ,act4 #e4 ,effective date ,this ,act shall take effect on the date of its enactment1 except that the requirement to issue regulations under section #c7;b7 shall apply as specified in that subsection4