Title 34, NavyRelease 119-110

§20984 Grants for Fingerprinting Programs for Children

Title 34 › Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons › CHAPTER 209 — CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFETY › SUBCHAPTER III — GRANTS AND OTHER PROVISIONS › § 20984

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General must set up a program to give grants to States, local governments, and Indian tribal governments. Those governments must give the money to law enforcement agencies in their area. The grants can pay to start a voluntary fingerprinting program for children (including palm prints); hire or train officers to take prints; tell the community about the program; and buy computers, software, or other needed materials. Fingerprints taken with these grants can only be given to a child’s parent or guardian. No law enforcement officer may copy or keep them without the parent’s written permission. Anyone who uses the prints for a different purpose can be jailed for up to 1 year, fined under Title 18, or both. Up to $20,000,000 may be appropriated for the program for the 5-year period beginning the first day of fiscal year 2007.

Full Legal Text

Title 34, §20984

Navy, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general
The Attorney General shall establish and implement a program under which the Attorney General may make grants to States, units of local government, and Indian tribal governments in accordance with this section.
(b)Use of grant amounts
A grant made to a State, unit of local government, or Indian tribal government under subsection (a) shall be distributed to law enforcement agencies within the jurisdiction of such State, unit, or tribal government to be used for any of the following activities:
(1)To establish a voluntary fingerprinting program for children, which may include the taking of palm prints of children.
(2)To hire additional law enforcement personnel, or train existing law enforcement personnel, to take fingerprints of children.
(3)To provide information within the community involved about the existence of such a fingerprinting program.
(4)To provide for computer hardware, computer software, or other materials necessary to carry out such a fingerprinting program.
(c)Limitation
Fingerprints of a child derived from a program funded under this section— (1)
(2)may not be copied or retained by any Federal, State, local, or tribal law enforcement officer unless written permission is given by the parent or guardian.
(d)Criminal penalty
Any person who uses the fingerprints of a child derived from a program funded under this section for any purpose other than the purpose described in subsection (c)(1) shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, a fine under title 18, or both.
(e)Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 to carry out this section for the 5-year period beginning on the first day of fiscal year 2007.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 16984 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

34 U.S.C. § 20984

Title 34, Navy

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110