Wednesday, November 05, 2003 Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 Schiff Provisions To Strengthen Use Of Dna Evidence In Unsolved Cases Pass The House Schiff Effort to Expand and Improve the Use Of DNA Analysis in Criminal Investigations Passes House as part of ‘Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act’ WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) effort to expand and improve the use of DNA analysis in criminal investigations across the country passed the House of Representatives today as part of the "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act" (H.R. 3214). Schiff introduced similar legislation earlier this spring - the DNA Database Enhancement Act - to increase the scope and use of DNA analysis. During the debate on the House Floor today, Rep. Schiff made the following statement:     "Mr. Chairman, as a lead cosponsor of the "Advancing Justice Through DNA Technology Act of 2003," I rise today in strong support of this landmark piece of legislation that will solve countless crimes and potentially exonerate innocent individuals wrongfully imprisoned. As a former federal prosecutor, I have long recognized what a powerful tool the use of DNA profiles has become in solving crimes. The FBI’s DNA database contains about 1.5 million DNA profiles and has yielded thousands of matches in criminal investigations - but thousands of additional matches can and should be made For this reason, I introduced legislation earlier this year to increase the effectiveness of DNA databases. My legislation was aimed at replicating on a nationwide basis the tremendous state successes in solving crimes using DNA. I am pleased that many of these policy improvements are included in the piece of legislation before us today. I would like to thank the Members on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate for their willingness to work with me to include important provisions to provide additional database searching capabilities for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These additional tools will help to solve thousands of cold cases - including unsolved murders and unsolved rape cases - finally providing victims and families with the closure and justice they deserve. The legislation before us today also authorizes much-needed funding to eliminate the current backlog of unanalyzed DNA samples in the nation’s crime labs, and the important Innocence Protection Act provisions will help ensure that inmates have access to DNA testing to establish their innocence. In closing, I would like to applaud the tremendous bipartisan and bicameral efforts on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to overwhelmingly approve this much-needed legislation." Provisions in the bill proposed by Rep. Schiff will: · Expand the national DNA database by allowing states to upload lawfully obtained samples. In some states, law enforcement is authorized to collect DNA samples from suspects being charged with violent crimes and other felonies. The uploading of these samples to the states’ databases have yielded tremendous results, in Virginia for example, with forensic officials making their 1,000th "cold hit" last year by matching a rape suspect to a 2001 sexual assault case. Schiff’s provision in the bill will facilitate crime-solving and information-sharing among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, by permitting a broader class of DNA samples to be included in the national database. · Maximize law enforcement comparison of DNA samples with the national DNA database. Current law does not provide a mechanism to query and compare DNA samples with the national database. Some states can already do this within their state-wide DNA database, but Schiff’s measure will expand this capability and allow such search capabilities nationally. Law enforcement will now have the ability to "keyboard search" lawfully obtained samples on a case-by-case basis to see if any matches are yielded with the national database. This will maximize the ability of law enforcement to obtain "cold hits" - potentially solving thousands of unsolved murders, rapes, and other crimes. Rep. Schiff represents California’s 29th Congressional District, including the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.