§40725 National Forensic Science Commission

Summary

The Attorney General must create a National Forensic Science Commission made up of people with experience in criminal justice and forensic science. The Commission must look at the current and future needs of the forensic field, suggest ways to use forensic tools and new science to solve crimes and protect the public, recommend programs to train more qualified forensic scientists for public crime labs, and share best practices through the National Institute of Justice. It must also review other forensic issues the Attorney General asks about, study Federal, State, and local rules about stored DNA and DNA testing, and recommend stronger privacy protections such as proper use and sharing, accuracy and security, timely removal and destruction of outdated or legally cleared or incorrect DNA information, and other needed measures. The Commission must also provide a place for sharing ideas. The Attorney General must pick the Commission chair from its members, assign any needed staff, set rules for how the Commission operates, and Congress authorized $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 2009 to carry out these duties.