Recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to offer my support of House Resolution 851 recognizing and honoring the 40th Anniversary of SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics. For the past 40 years, SEARCH has worked to identify and solve information management problems of law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Accurate, efficient and effective communications between and among Federal, State and local agencies have posed challenges to effective public service since the beginning of organized governments in America. Thus, in 1969, the Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration developed SEARCH, a 10-State project designed to test the feasibility of an interstate automated exchange of criminal history records. The program was a success, and over the past 40 years, SEARCH has maintained a leading role in providing solutions to information management challenges nationwide.

SEARCH is a nonprofit organization created by and for the States and governed by a membership group that includes one appointee from each of the 50 States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Its mission is ``to improve the quality of justice and public safety through the use, management and exchange of information; application of new technologies; and responsible law and policy; while safeguarding security and privacy.'' SEARCH has succeeded in using information sharing technology to help agencies to make accurate, informed, immediate and well-secured decisions about criminal justice and security issues.

SEARCH has played a crucial role in developing systems of collaboration for law enforcement agencies across the Nation. A few examples include: the Interstate Identification, a national index of criminal histories maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, a mechanism for determining eligibility to buy a firearm; the National Fingerprint

File, a tool that allows States to maintain their own fingerprint records while still sharing information with Federal and State law enforcement agencies around the country; and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a national fingerprint identification and criminal history system maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Such systems have been critical in sharing data to enhance law enforcement capabilities nationwide.

It is important to recognize, however, that accuracy in law enforcement is as important as vigilance. Accurate law enforcement requires strict focus on privacy rights especially when sharing information. SEARCH has been instrumental in championing privacy and civil rights in law enforcement. SEARCH has addressed the need to protect privacy, civil rights and civil liberties while promoting public and individual safety.

For example, in its ``Guide to Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments for State, Local, and Tribal Information Sharing Initiatives,'' SEARCH identifies the potential risks of law-enforcement agency information- sharing. It writes: ``[Data Sharing's] inappropriate or reckless use may irreparably damage reputations, threaten individual liberty, place personal safety at risk, or deny individuals access to some of life's most basic necessities such as employment, housing, and education. Greater information-sharing capabilities and opportunities are accompanied by equally greater responsibilities for protecting the privacy of the information being used and exchanged.'' In that document, SEARCH goes on to instruct agencies on how to assess the potential privacy risks of their information-sharing programs, and how to develop policies to help mitigate some of those risks.

I further congratulate SEARCH on its cutting edge technological advancements. Who could have guessed at the inception of SEARCH in 1969 that communications systems would evolve as far as they have? Over the years, SEARCH has managed not only to keep up with the remarkable technological advances of the past 40 years, but to be at the cutting edge. The original purpose of the SEARCH project was to examine the possibility of an automated system for exchanging information about criminals.

Today, it uses a variety of technological tools ranging from biometric technologies to cellular device data recovery tools to aid in crime prevention. SEARCH also trains and equips law enforcement agencies nationwide on issues of high-tech crime. It provides courses through its outreach training program on topics including: systems security, digital data recovery, and computer forensics. Further, SEARCH provides resources for investigators investigating crimes involving the internet such as online child exploitation. Such focus on technological advances is part of the reason for the success of SEARCH over the past 40 years and will certainly be an important component of its continued success over the next 40.

In addition to those SEARCH activities designed to aid law enforcement, I think it is important to recognize and applaud SEARCH's impact on public safety through its communications interoperability training programs. Information sharing and agency collaboration plays an important role, not just in crime prevention, but also in disaster relief. In August 2008, SEARCH was instrumental in enhancing Texas' communications response to Hurricane Gustav.

Gustav approached the State of Texas as a SEARCH All-Hazards Type III Communications Unit Leader, COML, training course was being conducted in my home town of Houston. As the hurricane bore down, the SEARCH instructors immediately mobilized the State emergency managers along with their students to construct the State's emergency communications response to Gustav. The instructors then deployed some students from the course to use the course's teachings to coordinate interoperable communications for emergency first responders. This is just one example of how SEARCH's programs have benefited, not only the people of my home State of Texas, but people all across the country. Efficient emergency response communications are an important part of keeping Americans safe.

Providing 40 years of effective information management tools to Federal, State and local agencies across the Nation is a wonderful accomplishment. Indeed, SEARCH has managed to stay at the forefront of communications technology as it pertains to law enforcement and public safety. It has effectively navigated America's transition to the information age of the 21st century and provided services to aid governments in saving lives.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution to salute SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, for its success in providing quality tools for law enforcement and public safety across the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 851) recognizing and honoring the 40th anniversary of SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, headquartered in Sacramento, California.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 851 recognizes SEARCH, the National Consortium For Justice Information and Statistics' 40th anniversary. SEARCH is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to improving the criminal justice system through better information management and effective application of information and identification technology. SEARCH members are primarily State criminal justice officials responsible for the management of criminal justice information, particularly criminal history information.

SEARCH was founded in 1969 when the Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration created Project SEARCH to explore the feasibility, practicality, and cost effectiveness of developing a computerized criminal history record system. Since its founding, SEARCH has sought to balance the individual's right to privacy with society's need for criminal history information. In 1970, for example, SEARCH first published findings and recommendations regarding the security, privacy and confidentiality of information contained in computerized criminal history files. SEARCH has a long history of involvement with criminal background checks, and has been invaluable to the formulation of national and State policies that guide the scope and use of criminal records.

In 2005, SEARCH published the report of the National Task Force on the Commercial Sale of Criminal Justice Record Information. This report was a comprehensive look at the role that commercial background screening companies play in the collection, maintenance, sale, and dissemination of criminal history record information for employment screening and other purposes. SEARCH concluded the work of the National Task Force on the Criminal Backgrounding of America in 2006. This task force report was relied upon by the Department of Justice for its own report on criminal history background checks.

SEARCH has played a critical role in the development of systems such as the Interstate Identification Index, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, also known as the Brady check system, the National Fingerprint File and the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Over its 40-year history, SEARCH's work has helped criminal justice, public safety and first-response professionals use information to combat crimes, acts of terrorism and disasters.

For all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the sponsor of this resolution, the gentlelady from California (Ms. Matsui).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 851, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 851, which would recognize and honor the 40th anniversary of SEARCH, the National Consortium For Justice Information and Statistics, an organization that's headquartered in my hometown of Sacramento. For the last 40 years, SEARCH has been dedicated to administering justice and enhancing public safety, and has been involved in numerous facets of our criminal justice system.

In 1969, SEARCH was established as a 10-state pilot project by the United States Department of Justice to investigate the feasibility of exchanging criminal history records on an automated and nationwide basis. Using the information gathered from this demonstration project and utilizing its partnership with the department, the FBI, and various state agencies and organizations, SEARCH helped create the national criminal history record information system. This framework has enabled State and local governments to collect, maintain and disseminate valuable criminal justice information.

Today, SEARCH continues to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat high-technology crimes. Specifically, the organization partners with the justice and public safety communities to provide quality training programs and hands-on assistance, and ensure that law enforcement agencies are well equipped to gather key intelligence to effectively protect, investigate and respond to such criminal actions.

For example, SEARCH recently assisted local authorities in northern California to apprehend a band of criminals after a reported crime. By employing cyber technology to track cell phone usage and location faster than ever before, these innovative tools help prevent further crimes from occurring.

Time and time again, Mr. Speaker, SEARCH has not only demonstrated its effectiveness in helping solve crimes that have already been committed but has also helped reduce the number of crimes being perpetrated in our neighborhoods. Its unwavering commitment to ensuring our safety and the safety of our children is truly impressive, and I commend the organization's tireless efforts toward this goal.

SEARCH employs 29 professional staff in my district and has representatives in every State across this country.

I ask that my colleagues join me today in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics and in honoring its incredible contributions to our criminal justice system.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in a post-9/11 world, we understand the importance of technology- and information-sharing between law enforcement agencies in keeping this country safe. That is why I support H. Res. 851, which recognizes and honors the 40th anniversary of SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics.

SEARCH was created by the Department of Justice's Law Enforcement Assistance Administration in 1969 as a 10-State project. Members of the nonprofit organization are primarily state-level justice officials appointed by the respective State governors. The group's original goal was to see whether it was possible to exchange and share criminal history records on an automated and nationwide basis. SEARCH not only succeeded in demonstrating the possibility of such an information- sharing program, but also, through partnership with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State agencies and other organizations helped to establish the national criminal history record information system.

Specifically, SEARCH has played a major part in developing programs such as biometric technologies like electronic fingerprinting, the Interstate Identification Index, National Instant Criminal Background Check System, National Fingerprint File, the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and the National Information Exchange Model. SEARCH also provides training and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies when dealing with high-technology crimes and information gathering.

Through these various technologies, SEARCH has helped agencies do their jobs in a more thorough manner. Offenders often have criminal histories that cross state jurisdictional lines. Law enforcement officials having quick access to a suspect's complete history means less missing pieces of the puzzle. And through these technologies, SEARCH has also helped agencies to do their jobs in a more time- and resource-efficient manner. This increase in efficiency and decrease in time wasted has proved critical in helping our law enforcement agencies keep America safe.

I support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.