,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ahij ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #bb1 #bjbe,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself and ,mr4 ,welch7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to establish a grant program for certain ,state and local forensic activities1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,carla ,walker ,act4 #b4 ,grants to improve forensic activities ,title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4 #ajaja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 ,,pp ,grants to improve forensic activities #cjfa4 ,definitions ,in this part3 7#a7 ,forensic analysis ,the term forensic analysis means an expert examination or test-- 7,a7 required by a law enforcement agency1 a prosecutor1 a criminal suspect or defendant1 or a relevant court2 and 7,b7 performed on physical evidence1 including ,,dna evidence1 for the purpose of determining the connection of the evidence to a criminal act4 7#b7 ,forensic laboratory ,the term forensic laboratory means a facility1 entity1 or site accredited or pursuing accreditation as described in section #cjfb7;d77#a77;,c77iii7 that-- 7,a7 offers or performs forensic analysis2 and 7,b7 follows relevant chain of custody requirements for authentication by an appropriate court4 #cjfb4 ,,dna analysis grants 7a7 ,eligible entity defined ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means-- 7#a7 a ,state2 7#b7 a ,tribal or local law enforcement agency2 7#c7 a prosecutor's office with a forensic laboratory capability2 7#d7 a medical examiner's office2 and 7#e7 a coroner's office4 7b7 ,authorization of grants ,the ,attorney ,general may award a competitive grant to an eligible entity for the purpose of using any technology used in a forensic laboratory-- 7#a7 in order to conduct whole genome sequencing technology to assess at least #ajj1jjj genetic markers 2 and 7#b7 that is compatible with multiple genealogical databases permitted to be used by law enforcement agencies under this part to generate investigative leads for criminal investigations or unidentified human remains4 7c7 ,applications ,an eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the ,attorney ,general an application at such time and in such form as the ,attorney ,general may require4 7d7 ,use of grant 7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use amounts from the grant for any of the following activities3 7,a7 ,to carry out ,,dna analyses of samples collected under applicable legal authority using the technology described in subsection 7b7 if the submission of such samples to the ,combined ,,dna ,index ,system has failed to produce investigative leads4 7,b7 ,to carry out ,,dna analyses of unidentified human remains reasonably believed by investigators to be the remains of a suspected homicide victim using the technology described in subsection 7b7 if submission of such samples to the ,combined ,,dna ,index ,system has failed to provide an identity4 7,c7 ,to outsource an activity described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,b7 for the use of technology described in subsection 7b7 and searching to-- 7i7 an accredited publicly funded forensic laboratory2 7ii7 an accredited nongovernmental forensic laboratory2 or 7iii7 a nongovernmental forensic laboratory that attests to the ,attorney ,general1 in a manner that is legally binding and enforceable1 that the nongovernmental forensic laboratory will prepare and apply for such accreditation not later than #b years after the date on which the nongovernmental laboratory first receives a request for analysis from an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section4 7#b7 ,,doj policy ,an activity carried out using amounts from a grant under this section shall be carried out consistent with the policy of the ,department of ,justice entitled ,interim ,policy on ,forensic ,genealogical ,,dna ,analysis and ,searching and dated ,november #a1 #bjai1 or any successor policy1 including with respect to communication between custodial ,combined ,,dna ,index ,system laboratories and vendor laboratories4 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,attorney ,general to carry out this section #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjbi4 7#b7 ,limitations on use 7,a7 ,in general ,amounts appropriated to carry out this section-- 7i7 subject to subparagraph 7,b71 shall only be made available to carry out forensic genetic genealogical analysis2 and 7ii7 shall not be made available for staffing1 training1 travel1 and equipment4 7,b7 ,administrative costs ,the ,attorney ,general may use not more than #aj percent of amounts appropriated to carry out this section for administrative costs4 #cjfc4 ,grants to purchase forensic equipment enabled for forensic genetic genealogy ,,dna analysis and searching 7a7 ,eligible entity defined ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means-- 7#a7 a publicly funded and accredited forensic laboratory2 7#b7 a medical examiner's office2 and 7#c7 a coroner's office4 7b7 ,authorization of grants ,the ,attorney ,general may award a grant to an eligible entity for the purpose of purchasing equipment to deploy forensic genetic genealogical ,,dna analysis and searching to generate investigative leads for criminal investigations or unidentified human remains4 7c7 ,applications ,an eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the ,attorney ,general an application at such time and in such form as the ,attorney ,general may require4 7d7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use amounts from the grant to purchase forensic equipment1 including supplies1 reagents1 consumables1 and validation expenses1 to deploy forensic genetic genealogy techniques1 as defined in the ,interim ,policy on ,forensic ,genealogical ,,dna ,analysis and ,search of the ,department of ,justice dated ,november #a1 #bjai1 or any successor policy1 as applicable4 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,attorney ,general to carry out this section #e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbe through #bjbi4 #cjfd4 ,administrative provisions 7a7 ,regulations ,the ,attorney ,general may promulgate guidelines1 regulations1 and procedures to carry out this part1 including guidelines1 regulations1 and procedures relating to the submission and review of applications for grants under sections #cjfb and #cjfc4 7b7 ,accountability 7#a7 ,records ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this part shall maintain such records as the ,attorney ,general may require to facilitate an effective audit relating to the receipt of the grant1 the use of amounts from the grant1 outsourcing activities1 and compliance with section ,,viii1 entitled ,sample and ,data ,control and ,disposition1 of the ,interim ,policy on ,forensic ,genealogical ,,dna ,analysis and ,search of the ,department of ,justice dated ,november #a1 #bjai1 or any successor policy4 7#b7 ,access ,for the purpose of conducting audits and examinations1 the ,attorney ,general shall have access to any book1 document1 or record of an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section1 a ,state or unit of local government within which the eligible entity operates1 and any entity to which the eligible entity outsources work using amounts from the grant if the ,attorney ,general determines that the book1 document1 or record relates to-- 7,a7 the receipt of the grant2 7,b7 the use of amounts from the grant2 or 7,c7 compliance with section ,,viii1 entitled ,sample and ,data ,control and ,disposition1 of the ,interim ,policy on ,forensic ,genealogical ,,dna ,analysis and ,search of the ,department of ,justice dated ,november #a1 #bjai1 or any successor policy4 7#c7 ,suspension and debarment ,in carrying out this part1 the ,attorney ,general shall comply with part #ahj of title #b1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor regulation4 #cjfe4 ,reports ,not later than #a year after the date on which an eligible entity receives a grant under section #cjfb or #cjfc1 the eligible entity shall submit to the ,attorney ,general a report that includes-- 7#a7 the amount of funding the eligible entity receives from the grant each fiscal year2 7#b7 the number of cases for which the eligible entity performed testing using forensic genealogical ,,dna analysis during the previous year2 7#c7 the type of forensic genetic genealogical ,,dna testing performed by the eligible entity1 including-- 7,a7 the name of any laboratory to which the eligible entity outsources the testing2 7,b7 the type of equipment used for the testing2 and 7,c7 the results of the testing1 such as whether the testing resulted in successful victim or perpetrator identification or no identification and the time it took to make the identification2 7#d7 the number of cases in which forensic genetic genealogical ,,dna analysis-- 7,a7 resulted in a searchable profile in a publicly available genealogy database2 7,b7 generated a victim or perpetrator identification2 7,c7 did not generate a victim or perpetrator identification2 and 7,d7 directly resulted in an arrest or victim identification2 and 7#e7 the average number of days it took to make an identification between the date of sample submission for forensic genetic genealogical ,,dna testing and the date of delivery of test results to the requesting office or agency4 4 #c4 ,,doj report ,not later than #b years after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,attorney ,general1 in consultation with the ,forensic ,laboratory ,needs ,working ,group of the ,national ,institute of ,justice1 shall submit to ,congress a report-- 7#a7 on the awards and practices reported the ,attorney ,general under section #cjfd of title ,i of the ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of #aifh1 as added by this ,act2 7#b7 on forensic genetic genealogy technologies and how best to implement forensic genetic genealogy into publicly funded forensic laboratories2 and 7#c7 that includes recommendations for-- 7,a7 implementing forensic investigative genetic genealogy technology1 including expected funding needs2 and 7,b7 necessary regulations for the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy technology4