---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 20984"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "20984"
heading: "Grants for fingerprinting programs for children"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/20984"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons"
  - "Chapter 209 — Child Protection and Safety"
  - "Subchapter III — Grants and Other Provisions"
---

# §20984. Grants for fingerprinting programs for children

- (a) **In general—** The Attorney General shall establish and implement a program under which the Attorney General may make grants to [States](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), units of local government, and Indian tribal governments in accordance with this section.
- (b) **Use of grant amounts—** A grant made to a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), unit of local government, or Indian tribal government under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be distributed to [law enforcement](/usc/34/21701.md?p=1) agencies within the [jurisdiction](/usc/34/21502.md?p=6) of such [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), unit, or tribal government to be used for any of the following activities:
  - (1) To establish a voluntary fingerprinting program for children, which may include the taking of palm prints of children.
  - (2) To hire additional [law enforcement](/usc/34/21701.md?p=1) personnel, or train existing [law enforcement](/usc/34/21701.md?p=1) personnel, to take fingerprints of children.
  - (3) To provide information within the community involved about the existence of such a fingerprinting program.
  - (4) To provide for computer hardware, computer software, or other materials necessary to carry out such a fingerprinting program.
- (c) **Limitation—** Fingerprints of a child derived from a program funded under this section—
  - (1) may be released only to a parent or guardian of the child; and
  - (2) may not be copied or retained by any Federal, [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), local, or tribal [law enforcement](/usc/34/21701.md?p=1) officer unless written permission is given by the parent or guardian.
- (d) **Criminal penalty—** Any person who uses the fingerprints of a child derived from a program funded under this section for any purpose other than the purpose described in [subsection (c)(1)](#c-1) shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year, a fine under [title 18](/usc/18.md), or both.
- (e) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 to carry out this section for the 5-year period beginning on the first day of fiscal year 2007.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–248, title VI, § 627, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 637.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 16984 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.