Overview

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the fundamental building block for an individual's entire genetic makeup. DNA is a powerful tool for law enforcement investigations because each person's DNA is different from that of every other individual (except for identical twins). DNA can be extracted from many sources, such as hair, bone, teeth, saliva, and blood. DNA samples can be collected at crime scenes, from people who might have been present when the crime occurred, and from crime victims. The information obtained from these samples is then compared with other DNA profiles to both eliminate and identify suspects in a criminal investigation.In the 1980s, states began enacting laws that required the collection of DNA samples from offenders convicted of certainsexual and other violent crimes. The samples are analyzed and their profiles are entered into state databases. In the late 1980s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory convened a working group of federal, state, and local forensic scientists to establish guidelines for the use of forensic DNA analysis in laboratories. The group proposed guidelines that are the basis of current national quality assurance standards, and it urged the creation of a national DNA database. In 1994, federallaw (34 U.S.C 12592(a)) authorized the FBI to operate and maintain a national DNA database forDNA profiles collected from people under applicable legal authority and samples collected at crime scenes. In 1998, the FBI launched the national DNA Index System(NDIS).Statutory provisions authorize the collection of DNA samples from certain arrestees and convicted federal offenders, Districtof Columbia offenders, and military convicted offenders. State laws dictate which convicted offenders, and in some statesarrestees, will have profiles entered into state DNA databases, while federal law dictates the scope of the national database.Increasing awareness of the power of DNA to solve crimes and the mandatory collection of DNA from arrestees and convicted offenders has resulted in increased demand for DNA analysis, which has resulted in a backlog of casework. Inaddition to solving crimes, DNA analysis can also help exonerate people accused or convicted of crimes they did not commit.Congress has authorized several grant programs to provide assistance to state and local governments for forensic sciences.Many of the programs focus on providing state and local governments with funding to reduce the backlog of forensic andconvicted offender DNA samples waiting to be processed and entered into the national database. Other grant programsprovide funding for related purposes, such as offsetting the cost of providing post-conviction DNA testing.

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