The Carla Walker Act establishes two federal grant programs to help state and local law enforcement agencies use advanced DNA technology, called forensic genetic genealogy, to solve cold cases and identify victims. The bill authorizes $5 million annually through fiscal year 2028 for DNA analysis grants that allow eligible entities—including police departments, prosecutors' offices, medical examiners, and coroners—to conduct whole genome sequencing on evidence that has not yielded results through traditional DNA databases. An additional $5 million annually funds grants for purchasing the specialized equipment needed to perform this analysis. Grant recipients must follow Department of Justice policies on genealogical DNA use and provide annual reports to the Attorney General documenting how many cases were solved, what technology was used, and how long investigations took. The bill aims to leverage genealogical databases to generate investigative leads in cases involving suspected homicides and unidentified remains while maintaining oversight through audits and compliance requirements.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.