# 119-hr-3591: Carla Walker Act

119-hr-3591, Carla Walker Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38] (R-TX); status introduced (as of 2026-09-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3591
- As of: 2026-09-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-3591
- Congress: 119
- Title: Carla Walker Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-05-23
- Sponsor: Rep. Hunt, Wesley [R-TX-38] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 11
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-12

## Summary

**Expands funding for forensic genetic genealogy.** The Carla Walker Act would create two DOJ grant streams to pay for advanced DNA analyses and buy equipment while requiring labs to follow DOJ policy and report results. - Families: Grants target cases where CODIS yields no leads and unidentified human remains, improving the chance of victim identification and closure. - Law enforcement and prosecutors: Authorizes competitive grants to run whole genome sequencing that assesses at least 100,000 genetic markers and works with multiple genealogy databases to generate investigative leads. - Forensic labs and medical examiners: One grant stream pays for outsourced or in-house genetic genealogy analyses but not equipment. A separate stream funds purchase of equipment, supplies, reagents, and validation for accredited public labs and medical examiners. - Oversight and accountability: Recipients must follow DOJ's November 1, 2019 Interim Policy on forensic genealogical DNA analysis and searching, provide detailed case and testing reports, and DOJ must review implementation and funding needs for Congress within two years. *Would authorize $5.0 million per year for each grant program for fiscal years 2024–2028, about $10.0 million annually total, increasing federal spending authority during that period.*

## Cosponsors (11)

- Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-14] (D-CA), 2025-05-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2025-09-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fedorchak, Julie [R-ND-At Large] (R-ND), 2025-09-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1] (R-GA), 2025-11-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harris, Mark [R-NC-8] (R-NC), 2025-11-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2] (R-MO), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, John R. [R-TX-31] (R-TX), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simpson, Michael K. [R-ID-2] (R-ID), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Reschenthaler, Guy [R-PA-14] (R-PA), 2026-01-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Barry [R-AL-1] (R-AL), 2026-09-10T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Defines which labs qualify for grants: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define key terms for these grants. “Forensic analysis” would mean expert tests on physical evidence, like DNA, to link it to a crime. “Forensic laboratory” would mean a lab that is accredited or is seeking accreditation within two years, and that follows chain‑of‑custody…
- Grants for forensic genealogy DNA work: benefit, low. If enacted, the government would fund two competitive grants for forensic genealogy. Each program would get $5 million a year for fiscal years 2024–2028. One grant would pay for whole‑genome DNA analyses (100,000+ markers, multi‑database compatible) when CODIS searches fail or to identify likely ho…
- Audit and reporting rules for grantees: cost, low. If enacted, grant recipients would face added oversight. They would have to keep records for audits and follow federal suspension and debarment rules (2 C.F.R. part 180). DOJ could review books and records of recipients, related state or local governments, and any outsourced labs. Within one year o…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-3591 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3591)

## Related
- [119-hr-452: Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-452)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-979: AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-979)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-38: Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-38)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3591 (as of 2026-09-12).