[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1890 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1890
To establish a grant program for certain State and local forensic
activities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 22, 2025
Mr. Cornyn (for himself and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill;
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
activities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Carla Walker Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO IMPROVE FORENSIC ACTIVITIES.
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
(34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``PART PP--GRANTS TO IMPROVE FORENSIC ACTIVITIES
``SEC. 3061. DEFINITIONS.
``In this part:
``(1) Forensic analysis.--The term `forensic analysis'
means an expert examination or test--
``(A) required by a law enforcement agency, a
prosecutor, a criminal suspect or defendant, or a
relevant court; and
``(B) performed on physical evidence, including DNA
evidence, for the purpose of determining the connection
of the evidence to a criminal act.
``(2) Forensic laboratory.--The term `forensic laboratory'
means a facility, entity, or site accredited or pursuing
accreditation as described in section 3062(d)(1)(C)(iii) that--
``(A) offers or performs forensic analysis; and
``(B) follows relevant chain of custody
requirements for authentication by an appropriate
court.
``SEC. 3062. DNA ANALYSIS GRANTS.
``(a) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term `eligible
entity' means--
``(1) a State;
``(2) a Tribal or local law enforcement agency;
``(3) a prosecutor's office with a forensic laboratory
capability;
``(4) a medical examiner's office; and
``(5) a coroner's office.
``(b) 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--
``(1) in order to conduct whole genome sequencing
technology to assess at least 100,000 genetic markers ; and
``(2) 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 remains.
``(c) 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 require.
``(d) Use of Grant.--
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall use amounts from the grant for any of
the following activities:
``(A) To carry out DNA analyses of samples
collected under applicable legal authority using the
technology described in subsection (b) if the
submission of such samples to the Combined DNA Index
System has failed to produce investigative leads.
``(B) 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 (b) if submission of
such samples to the Combined DNA Index System has
failed to provide an identity.
``(C) To outsource an activity described in
subparagraph (A) or (B) for the use of technology
described in subsection (b) and searching to--
``(i) an accredited publicly funded
forensic laboratory;
``(ii) an accredited nongovernmental
forensic laboratory; or
``(iii) a nongovernmental forensic
laboratory that attests to the Attorney
General, in a manner that is legally binding
and enforceable, that the nongovernmental
forensic laboratory will prepare and apply for
such accreditation not later than 2 years after
the date on which the nongovernmental
laboratory first receives a request for
analysis from an eligible entity receiving a
grant under this section.
``(2) 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 1, 2019, or any successor policy, including with
respect to communication between custodial Combined DNA Index
System laboratories and vendor laboratories.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Attorney General to carry out this section $5,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
``(2) Limitations on use.--
``(A) In general.--Amounts appropriated to carry
out this section--
``(i) subject to subparagraph (B), shall
only be made available to carry out forensic
genetic genealogical analysis; and
``(ii) shall not be made available for
staffing, training, travel, and equipment.
``(B) Administrative costs.--The Attorney General
may use not more than 10 percent of amounts
appropriated to carry out this section for
administrative costs.
``SEC. 3063. GRANTS TO PURCHASE FORENSIC EQUIPMENT ENABLED FOR FORENSIC
GENETIC GENEALOGY DNA ANALYSIS AND SEARCHING.
``(a) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term `eligible
entity' means--
``(1) a publicly funded and accredited forensic laboratory;
``(2) a medical examiner's office; and
``(3) a coroner's office.
``(b) 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 remains.
``(c) 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 require.
``(d) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall use amounts from the grant to purchase forensic
equipment, including supplies, reagents, consumables, and validation
expenses, to deploy forensic genetic genealogy techniques, as defined
in the Interim Policy on Forensic Genealogical DNA Analysis and Search
of the Department of Justice dated November 1, 2019, or any successor
policy, as applicable.
``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Attorney General to carry out this section
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
``SEC. 3064. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.
``(a) Regulations.--The Attorney General may promulgate guidelines,
regulations, and procedures to carry out this part, including
guidelines, regulations, and procedures relating to the submission and
review of applications for grants under sections 3062 and 3063.
``(b) Accountability.--
``(1) 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 grant, the use of amounts from the grant,
outsourcing activities, and compliance with section VIII,
entitled `Sample and Data Control and Disposition', of the
Interim Policy on Forensic Genealogical DNA Analysis and Search
of the Department of Justice dated November 1, 2019, or any
successor policy.
``(2) Access.--For the purpose of conducting audits and
examinations, the Attorney General shall have access to any
book, document, or record of an eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section, a State or unit of local government
within which the eligible entity operates, and any entity to
which the eligible entity outsources work using amounts from
the grant if the Attorney General determines that the book,
document, or record relates to--
``(A) the receipt of the grant;
``(B) the use of amounts from the grant; or
``(C) compliance with section VIII, entitled
`Sample and Data Control and Disposition', of the
Interim Policy on Forensic Genealogical DNA Analysis
and Search of the Department of Justice dated November
1, 2019, or any successor policy.
``(3) Suspension and debarment.--In carrying out this part,
the Attorney General shall comply with part 180 of title 2,
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
``SEC. 3065. REPORTS.
``Not later than 1 year after the date on which an eligible entity
receives a grant under section 3062 or 3063, the eligible entity shall
submit to the Attorney General a report that includes--
``(1) the amount of funding the eligible entity receives
from the grant each fiscal year;
``(2) the number of cases for which the eligible entity
performed testing using forensic genealogical DNA analysis
during the previous year;
``(3) the type of forensic genetic genealogical DNA testing
performed by the eligible entity, including--
``(A) the name of any laboratory to which the
eligible entity outsources the testing;
``(B) the type of equipment used for the testing;
and
``(C) the results of the testing, such as whether
the testing resulted in successful victim or
perpetrator identification or no identification and the
time it took to make the identification;
``(4) the number of cases in which forensic genetic
genealogical DNA analysis--
``(A) resulted in a searchable profile in a
publicly available genealogy database;
``(B) generated a victim or perpetrator
identification;
``(C) did not generate a victim or perpetrator
identification; and
``(D) directly resulted in an arrest or victim
identification; and
``(5) 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 agency.''.
SEC. 3. DOJ REPORT.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Attorney General, in consultation with the Forensic Laboratory Needs
Working Group of the National Institute of Justice, shall submit to
Congress a report--
(1) on the awards and practices reported the Attorney
General under section 3064 of title I of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by this Act;
(2) on forensic genetic genealogy technologies and how best
to implement forensic genetic genealogy into publicly funded
forensic laboratories; and
(3) that includes recommendations for--
(A) implementing forensic investigative genetic
genealogy technology, including expected funding needs;
and
(B) necessary regulations for the use of forensic
investigative genetic genealogy technology.
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