[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 851 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 851

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     November 17, 2009.
Whereas the Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration 
        created SEARCH in 1969 as a 10-State project to demonstrate whether it 
        was feasible to exchange criminal history records on an automated and 
        nationwide basis;
Whereas SEARCH not only demonstrated the feasibility of an automated nationwide 
        system of sharing criminal records, but also, through partnership with 
        the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State 
        agencies and other organizations, helped to establish the national 
        criminal history record information system;
Whereas SEARCH is a nonprofit organization created by and for the States, 
        governed by a Membership Group comprised of one gubernatorial appointee 
        from each of the States and territories;
Whereas SEARCH's guiding vision is to ensure ``Accurate and timely information, 
        supported by well-deployed information and identification technology, 
        enables the justice and public safety decision-maker to administer 
        justice in a manner that promotes individual rights and public safety'';
Whereas SEARCH provides training and technical assistance to help the criminal 
        justice community combat high-technology crimes, gather valuable 
        information in investigations, and link the Nation's law enforcement 
        agencies through policy and technical solutions;
Whereas SEARCH helps agencies effectively implement information sharing 
        technology to make accurate, more informed, immediate, and appropriately 
        secured decisions about criminal justice and security issues, and to 
        administer justice in an efficient and effective manner;
Whereas SEARCH has pioneered the development of both technology and policy 
        solutions for justice implementation of biometric technologies, thereby 
        enabling electronic fingerprints to become a rapid, reliable, and cost-
        effective identification authentication process and further supporting 
        information sharing and collaboration among and between agencies;
Whereas SEARCH has made a profound contribution, working with the Department of 
        Justice, to develop successive generations of privacy and security 
        policies that are now reflected in both Department of Justice 
        regulations and Federal legislation;
Whereas SEARCH has played a critical role in the development of systems such as 
        the Interstate Identification Index (III), the National Instant Criminal 
        Background Check System (NICS), commonly called the Brady check system, 
        the National Fingerprint File (NFF), the Integrated Automated 
        Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), and key standards for 
        information sharing and interoperability, such as the National 
        Information Exchange Model (NIEM);
Whereas SEARCH's work with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security 
        helps the Nation's justice and public safety communities plan, develop, 
        implement, test, and manage interoperable communications solutions; and
Whereas SEARCH has had many accomplishments over its 40-year history to help 
        practitioners in criminal justice, public safety, and first response use 
        information to plan for, predict, prevent, and interdict criminal 
        events, terrorism, and disasters: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes and honors SEARCH, 
The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, on the occasion 
of its 40th anniversary for accomplishments to promote information sharing and 
identification solutions for first responders and law enforcement officers, and 
for the protection of privacy and citizens' rights.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.