[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 69 (Tuesday, June 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S5577]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CRIME IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGY ACT

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I am pleased to rise today as an 
original cosponsor of the ``Crime Identification Technology Act'' 
recently introduced by my colleague from Ohio, Senator DeWine. I 
applaud the Senator from Ohio's fine efforts in getting this important 
bill introduced and shepherding it through the Senate Judiciary 
Committee so quickly.
  In my view S. 2022 will provide significant assistance to federal, 
state, and local law enforcement groups as they work to integrate their 
identification, information, communications, and forensic systems. 
Currently, federal, state, and local crime databases are not 
universally maintained in a format that makes them compatible with one 
another. Right now law enforcement officials often have trouble 
accessing information and transferring it among themselves.
  Important technologies such as the Integrated Automated Fingerprint 
Identification System (IAFIS) which is operated by the Federal Bureau 
of Investigation (FBI), the National Integrated Ballistics Network, and 
the National Incident-Based Reporting System all would be much more 
effective if all states and localities had compatible systems. The 
federal government has provided agencies with the funds necessary to 
create this technology. Unfortunately, a number of states, and local 
communities in particular, often have not had sufficient funds to 
implement them. Moreover, particular states and localities often lack 
sufficient incentive to standardize because standardization's benefits 
become clear only if all states and localities participate. Thus it is 
important that the federal government provide assistance in order to 
maintain a uniform national system.
  The ``Crime Identification Technology Act'' will better enable 
federal, state, and local governments to work in tandem in the fight 
against crime. In a nutshell, this bill authorizes $250 million in 
grant money over five years to states in conjunction with local 
governments and Indian tribes, to establish or improve information and 
identification technologies and make them more compatible with one 
another and with federal systems. Grants will be distributed by the 
Bureau of Justice Statistics, which will consult with the Governor of 
each state to determine how much money is needed and for which 
programs. For example, some states may feel they need better 
fingerprint-scanned devices while others may want to integrate their 
ballistics programs into the National Integrated Ballistics Network.
  Federal and state governments share an interest in the interstate 
compatibility of these technology systems and in quickly identifying 
whether an individual has a federal, state, or local record. Ensuring 
the accuracy and accessibility of criminal history records must be a 
joint endeavor among law enforcement agencies at all levels. This 
legislation will be of critical assistance in bringing this about.
  I urge my colleagues to join me, my colleague from Ohio, the Chairman 
and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and a number of other 
colleagues in supporting this important piece of legislation.

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