The CODIS Access Modernization Act would allow qualified private forensic DNA laboratories to directly upload DNA profiles to the National DNA Index System (NDIS), a federal database used by law enforcement to match DNA evidence across cases. Currently, only publicly operated laboratories can upload directly to NDIS, forcing private labs to send their DNA profiles through public labs for entry, which causes delays of days to years. To be eligible, private laboratories must meet the same FBI quality standards and ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation requirements as public labs, undergo external audits every two years, and comply with federal data security and privacy rules. The Justice Department and FBI must issue detailed regulations implementing the program within six months of the law's enactment. The bill's supporters argue that allowing private labs direct access would reduce DNA testing backlogs, speed up criminal investigations, help solve violent crimes faster, and ease the burden on overwhelmed public laboratories, while private labs would still be prohibited from searching or retrieving information from the database—only uploading their own DNA profiles.
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