The Compact Council is established pursuant to the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Compact), title 42, U.S.C., chapter 140, subchapter II, section 14616. The purpose of these provisions is to interpret the Compact, as it applies to the required submission of fingerprints, along with requests for Interstate Identification Index (III) records, by agencies authorized to access and receive criminal history records under Public Law 92-544, and to establish protocols and procedures applicable to the III and its use for noncriminal justice purposes.

(a) Article V of the Compact requires the submission of fingerprints or other approved forms of positive identification with requests for criminal history record checks for noncriminal justice purposes. The requirement for the submission of fingerprints may be satisfied in two ways:

(1) The fingerprints should be submitted contemporaneously with the request for criminal history information, or

(2) For purposes approved by the Compact Council, a delayed submission of fingerprints may be permissible under exigent circumstances.

(b) A preliminary III name based check may be made pending the receipt of the delayed submission of the fingerprints. The state repository may authorize terminal access to authorized agencies designated by the state, to enable them to conduct such checks. Such access must be made pursuant to the security policy set forth by the state's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Systems Agency (formerly known as the Control Terminal Agency).

(a) A state may, based upon exigent circumstances, apply for delayed submission of fingerprints supporting requests for III records by agencies authorized to access and receive criminal history records under Public Law 92-544. Such applications must be sent to the Compact Council Chairman and include information sufficient to fully describe the emergency nature of the situation in which delayed submission authority is being sought, the risk to health and safety of the individuals involved, and the reasons why the submission of fingerprints contemporaneously with the search request is not feasible.

(b) In evaluating requests for delayed submissions, the Compact Council must utilize the following criteria:

(1) The risk to health and safety; and

(2) The emergency nature of the request.

(c) Upon approval of the application by the Compact Council, the authorized agency may conduct a III name check pending submission of the fingerprints. The fingerprints must be submitted within the time frame specified by the Compact Council. For the purposes of this part, “time frame” means the number of days that elapse between the date on which the name search was conducted and the date on which the state repository either positively identifies the fingerprint subject or forwards the fingerprints to the FBI or the date a Federal agency forwards the fingerprints to the FBI.

(d) Once a specific proposal has been approved by the Compact Council, another state may apply for delayed fingerprint submission consistent with the approved proposal, provided that the state has a related Public Law 92-544 approved state statute, by submitting the application to the FBI Compact Officer, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Module C-3, Clarksburg, WV 26306-0001.

(e) Part 901 is also applicable to any federal agency authorized to access criminal history records pursuant to Federal statute or Executive Order for noncriminal justice purposes.

(a) Audits of authorized State agencies that access the III System shall be conducted by the State's Compact Officer or, in the absence of a Compact Officer, the chief administrator for the criminal history record repository. The responsible Federal CJIS Systems Officer shall ensure that similar audits are conducted of authorized Federal agencies. Such audits shall be conducted to verify adherence to the provisions of part 901 and the FBI's CJIS Security Policy.

(b) Authorized agencies shall cause to be collected an appropriate record of each instance of III System access through a manual or electronic log. The log shall be maintained for a minimum one-year period to facilitate the audits and compliance reviews. Such records shall be maintained in accordance with the CJIS Security Policy. (For information on this security policy, contact your CJIS Systems Officer.)

(c) The audit and compliance reviews must include mechanisms to determine whether fingerprints were submitted within the time frame specified by the Compact Council.

(d) In addition to the audits as stated above, the FBI CJIS Audit staff shall also conduct routine systematic compliance reviews of State repositories, Federal agencies, and as necessary other authorized III System user agencies.