IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 503 

Recognizing and honoring the 50th anniversary of SEARCH, The National 

Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, headquartered in Sacramento, California. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 18, 2019 

Ms. MATSUI submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing and honoring the 50th anniversary of SEARCH, 

The National Consortium for Justice Information and 

Statistics, headquartered in Sacramento, California. 

Whereas the Department of Justice’s Law Enforcement Assistance Administration created SEARCH in 1969 as a 

10-State project to demonstrate whether it was feasible 

to exchange criminal history records on an automated 

and nationwide basis; 

Whereas SEARCH not only demonstrated the feasibility of 

an automated nationwide system of sharing criminal 

records, but also, through partnership with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

State agencies and other organizations, helped to estabVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:13 Jul 18, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR503.IH HR503

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•HRES 503 IH 

lish the national criminal history record information system; 

Whereas SEARCH is a nonprofit organization created by and 

for the States, governed by a Membership Group comprised of one gubernatorial appointee from each of the 

States and territories; 

Whereas SEARCH’s guiding vision is to ensure ‘‘Accurate 

and timely information, supported by well-deployed information and identification technology, enables the justice 

and public safety decision-maker to administer justice in 

a manner that promotes individual rights and public safety’’; 

Whereas SEARCH provides training and technical assistance 

to help the criminal justice community combat high-technology crimes, gather valuable information in investigations, and link the Nation’s law enforcement agencies 

through policy and technical solutions; 

Whereas SEARCH helps agencies effectively implement information sharing technology to make accurate, more informed, immediate, and appropriately secured decisions 

about criminal justice and security issues, and to administer justice in an efficient and effective manner; 

Whereas SEARCH has pioneered the development of both 

technology and policy solutions for justice implementation 

of biometric technologies, thereby enabling electronic fingerprints to become a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective 

identification authentication process and further supporting information sharing and collaboration among and 

between agencies; 

Whereas SEARCH has made a profound contribution, working with the Department of Justice, to develop successive 


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•HRES 503 IH 

generations of privacy and security policies that are now 

reflected in both Department of Justice regulations and 

Federal legislation; 

Whereas SEARCH has played a critical role in the development of systems such as the Interstate Identification 

Index (III), the National Instant Criminal Background 

Check System (NICS), commonly called the Brady check 

system, the National Fingerprint File (NFF), the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System 

(IAFIS), and key standards for information sharing and 

interoperability, such as the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM); 

Whereas SEARCH’s work with the Departments of Justice 

and Homeland Security helps the Nation’s justice and 

public safety communities plan, develop, implement, test, 

and manage interoperable communications solutions; and 

Whereas SEARCH has had many accomplishments over its 

50-year history to help practitioners in criminal justice, 

public safety, and first response use information to plan 

for, predict, prevent, and interdict criminal events, terrorism, and disasters: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes and honors SEARCH, The National Consortium for 

3 Justice Information and Statistics, on the occasion of its 

4 50th anniversary for accomplishments to promote infor5 mation sharing and identification solutions for first re6 sponders and law enforcement officers, and for the protec7 tion of privacy and citizens’ rights. 

Æ 


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