Proven Once: the film, and the source for every claim in it

First Lady Melania Trump Announces Executive Order on Fostering the Future, Opens New Opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships The White House, Office of the First Lady, November 13, 2025Second sentence of the release dated November 13, 2025

“The First Lady joined President Donald J. Trump at today's historic signing ceremony at the White House.”

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Same documentSignature block, 90 FR 52229

“THE WHITE HOUSE, November 13, 2025.”

Same documentSection 1, second paragraph, 90 FR 52227

“Many caseworkers are overburdened. Information systems are often outdated.”

Public Law 115-141, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (division S, title I: Child Protection Improvements Act), 132 Stat. 348 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, March 23, 2018132 Stat. 348 (approved March 23, 2018); div. S, title I, 132 Stat. 1123

“TITLE I--CHILD PROTECTION IMPROVEMENTS ACT”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 2.5 MB)

42 U.S.C. 12645g, Criminal history checks (national service laws; added by Pub. L. 111-13, sections 1612 and 1614(a)) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 12645g(a); source credit: Pub. L. 111-13, secs. 1612 and 1614(a)

“Each entity selecting individuals to serve in a position in which the individuals receive a living allowance, stipend, national service educational award, or salary through a program receiving assistance under the national service laws, shall”

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34 U.S.C. 20351, Requirement for background checks (Crime Control Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-647, title II, section 231) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 20351(a)(1); source credit Pub. L. 101-647, title II, sec. 231, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4808

“shall assure that all existing and newly-hired employees undergo a criminal history background check.”

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42 U.S.C. 9843a, Staff qualifications and development (Head Start Act section 648A; subsection (g) added by Pub. L. 110-134, section 19, 2007) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9843a(g)(3)(A); source credit includes Pub. L. 110-134, sec. 19, Dec. 12, 2007, 121 Stat. 1430

“Before a Head Start agency employs an individual, such agency shall”

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Same document79 Stat. 218, long title

“To provide assistance in the development of new or improved programs to help older persons through grants to the States for community planning and services and for training”

Same document79 Stat. 219, sec. 101 (declaration of objectives, first of ten)

“(1) An adequate income in retirement in accordance with the American standard of living.”

Same document79 Stat. 226, end of the Act

“Approved July 14, 1965.”

Public Law 115-141, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (division S, title I: Child Protection Improvements Act), 132 Stat. 348 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, March 23, 2018Public Law 115-141, end of text

“Approved March 23, 2018.”

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Same document87 Stat. 394, sec. 504

“solely by reason of his handicap, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Same document87 Stat. 394, end of the Act

“Approved September 26, 1973.”

Same document88 Stat. 4, long title

“To provide financial assistance for a demonstration program for the prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect, to establish a National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, and for other purposes.”

Same document88 Stat. 8, end of the Act

“Approved January 31, 1974.”

Same document89 Stat. 507, end of the Act

“Approved October 4, 1975.”

Same document89 Stat. 773, long title

“To amend the Education of the Handicapped Act to provide educational assistance to all handicapped children, and for other purposes.”

Same document89 Stat. 796, end of the Act

“Approved November 29, 1975.”

Same document92 Stat. 3069, long title

“To establish standards for the placement of Indian children in foster or adoptive homes, to prevent the breakup of Indian families, and for other purposes.”

Same document92 Stat. 3078, end of the Act

“Approved November 8, 1978.”

Same document94 Stat. 500, long title

“To establish a program of adoption assistance, to strengthen the program of foster care assistance for needy and dependent children”

Same document94 Stat. 535, end of the Act

“Approved June 17, 1980.”

Same document100 Stat. 478, sec. 101(a)(1)

“mentally ill individuals are vulnerable to abuse and serious injury;”

Same document100 Stat. 490, end of the Act

“Approved May 23, 1986.”

Same document101 Stat. 1330-160, heading of title IV, subtitle C

“Nursing Home Reform”

Same document101 Stat. 1330-164, sec. 4201(a)(3), new Social Security Act sec. 1819(b)(5)(C)

“must not use such an individual as a nurse aide unless the facility has inquired of the State registry established under subsection (e)(2)(A) as to information in the registry concerning the individual.”

Same document101 Stat. 1330-171, new sec. 1819(e)(2)(B)

“shall provide (in accordance with regulations of the Secretary) for the inclusion of specific documented findings by a State under subsection (g)(1)(C) of resident neglect or abuse or misappropriation of resident property”

Same document104 Stat. 327, long title

“To establish a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability.”

Same document104 Stat. 378, end of the Act

“Approved July 26, 1990.”

Same document107 Stat. 2491, sec. 3(a)(1)

“A State may have in effect procedures (established by State statute or regulation) that require qualified entities designated by the State to contact an authorized agency of the State to request a nationwide background check”

Same document107 Stat. 2490, sec. 2(a)

“In each State, an authorized criminal justice agency of the State shall report child abuse crime information to, or index child abuse crime information in, the national criminal history background check system.”

Same document107 Stat. 2495, end of the Act

“Approved December 20, 1993.”

Same document108 Stat. 4056, title V, part E, sec. 551

“This subpart may be cited as the "Howard M. Metzenbaum Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994".”

Same document108 Stat. 4056, sec. 553(a)(1)(A)

“categorically deny to any person the opportunity to become an adoptive or a foster parent, solely on the basis of the race, color, or national origin”

Same document108 Stat. 4062, end of the Act

“Approved October 20, 1994.”

Same document111 Stat. 2120 to 2121, sec. 106, new Social Security Act sec. 471(a)(20)(A)

“provides procedures for criminal records checks for any prospective foster or adoptive parent before the foster or adoptive parent may be finally approved for placement of a child”

Same document111 Stat. 2121, new sec. 471(a)(20)(B)

“subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a State plan if the Governor of the State has notified the Secretary in writing that the State has elected to make subparagraph (A) inapplicable to the State”

Same document111 Stat. 2136, end of the Act

“Approved November 19, 1997.”

Public Law 115-141, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (division S, title I, Child Protection Improvements Act) U.S. Government Publishing Office, govinfo.gov: Public and Private Laws (slip law PDF), March 23, 2018P.L. 115-141, division S, sec. 101(a)(1)(C), 132 Stat. 1124 (later history)

“by amending subsection (a)(3) to read as follows:”

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Same document112 Stat. 1885, sec. 222(a), new National Child Protection Act sec. 3(a)(3)

“In the absence of State procedures referred to in paragraph (1), a qualified entity designated under paragraph (1) may contact an authorized agency of the State to request national criminal fingerprint background checks.”

Same document112 Stat. 1885, end of the Act (margin of 112 Stat. 1870: 'Oct. 9, 1998 [S. 2022]')

“Approved October 9, 1998.”

Same document113 Stat. 1822, long title

“To amend part E of title IV of the Social Security Act to provide States with more funding and greater flexibility in carrying out programs designed to help children make the transition from foster care to self-sufficiency”

Same document113 Stat. 1847, sec. 251(a), new Social Security Act sec. 807(b)(2)(C) (representative payees for special veterans benefits)

“determine whether the person has been convicted of a violation of section 208, 811, or 1632; and”

Same document113 Stat. 1859, end of the Act

“Approved December 14, 1999.”

Same document114 Stat. 1466, division A, sec. 101

“This division may be cited as the "Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000".”

Same document114 Stat. 1466, sec. 102(a)

“The purposes of this division are to combat trafficking in persons, a contemporary manifestation of slavery whose victims are predominantly women and children, to ensure just and effective punishment of traffickers, and to protect their victims.”

Same document114 Stat. 1548, end of the Act

“Approved October 28, 2000.”

Public Law 104-235, Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Amendments of 1996 (context: the CAPTA grant eligibility framework that sec. 114 of P.L. 108-36 amends) U.S. Government Publishing Office, govinfo.gov: slip law PDF, October 3, 1996110 Stat. 3072, new CAPTA sec. 106(b)(1)(A)

“To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State shall, at the time of the initial grant application and every 5 years thereafter, prepare and submit to the Secretary a State plan”

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Same document117 Stat. 809, sec. 114(b), heading

“ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS”

Same document117 Stat. 811, sec. 114(b)(1), new CAPTA sec. 106(b)(2)(A)(xxii)

“provisions and procedures for requiring criminal background record checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household”

Same document117 Stat. 2257, sec. 307(a)

“The Secretary, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall establish a pilot program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long term care facilities or providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient access employees.”

Same document117 Stat. 2257, sec. 307(b)(1)

“a long-term care facility or provider in a participating State, prior to employing a direct patient access employee”

Same document117 Stat. 2259, sec. 307(c)(1)

“The Secretary shall enter into agreements with not more than 10 States to conduct the pilot program under this section in such States.”

Same document120 Stat. 608, sec. 152(a)(1), amending sec. 471(a)(20)(A)

“including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases”

Same document120 Stat. 609, new sec. 471(a)(20)(C)(i)

“check any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the State for information on any prospective foster or adoptive parent and on any other adult living in the home of such a prospective parent”

Same document120 Stat. 609, sec. 152(c)(2)

“The amendments made by subsection (b) shall take effect on October 1, 2008”

Same document122 Stat. 3950, sec. 101(a), new sec. 471(a)(28)

“at the option of the State, provides for the State to enter into kinship guardianship assistance agreements”

Same document122 Stat. 3952, sec. 101(c)(2)

“provides procedures for criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases”

Same document122 Stat. 3952, same provision

“before the relative guardian may receive kinship guardianship assistance payments on behalf of the child”

Same document124 Stat. 721, sec. 6201(a)

“shall establish a program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long term care facilities or providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient access employees on a nationwide basis”

Same document124 Stat. 722, sec. 6201(a)(1)(A)

“that agrees to conduct background checks under the nationwide program on a Statewide basis; and”

Same document124 Stat. 782, sec. 6701

“This subtitle may be cited as the "Elder Justice Act of 2009".”

42 U.S.C. 5106a, Grants to States for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs (current text and amendment notes) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), September 26, 2026sec. 5106a(b)(2)(B)(xxii) and the amendment notes

“provisions and procedures for requiring criminal background record checks that meet the requirements of section 471(a)(20) of the Social Security Act”

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Same document124 Stat. 3471, sec. 115(c)(2)(C)(xiv), amending CAPTA sec. 106(b)(2)(B)(xxii)

“by inserting "that meet the requirements of section 471(a)(20) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(20))" after "checks"”

Same document124 Stat. 3514, end of the Act

“Approved December 20, 2010.”

Same document128 Stat. 1919, long title

“To prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care, to extend and improve adoption incentives, and to improve international child support recovery.”

Same document128 Stat. 1950, end of the Act

“Approved September 29, 2014.”

Same document128 Stat. 1990, sec. 7, new CCDBG Act sec. 658H(a)

“A State that receives funds to carry out this subchapter shall have in effect”

Same document128 Stat. 1990, sec. 658H(a)(1)

“requirements, policies, and procedures to require and conduct criminal background checks for child care staff members”

Same document128 Stat. 1991, sec. 658H(b)(4)

“a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System”

Same document129 Stat. 227, long title

“To provide justice for the victims of trafficking.”

Same document129 Stat. 263 to 264, sec. 802(b), new CAPTA clause (xxiv)

“provisions and procedures requiring identification and assessment of all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of sex trafficking”

Same document129 Stat. 267, end of the Act

“Approved May 29, 2015.”

Same document131 Stat. 1208, long title

“To prevent elder abuse and exploitation and improve the justice system’s response to victims in elder abuse and exploitation cases.”

Same document131 Stat. 1215, sec. 501 (grant-funded court demonstration programs)

“to implement changes deemed necessary as a result of the assessments such as mandating background checks for all potential guardians and conservators”

Same document131 Stat. 1217, end of the Act

“Approved October 18, 2017.”

Same document132 Stat. 232, division E, title VII heading

“FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT”

Same document132 Stat. 232, sec. 50701 (short title section under that heading)

“This subtitle may be cited as the ‘‘Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018’’.”

Same document132 Stat. 261, sec. 50745(a), new sec. 471(a)(20)(D)

“to conduct criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases”

Same document132 Stat. 1123, division S, title I heading

“CHILD PROTECTION IMPROVEMENTS ACT”

Same document132 Stat. 1124, sec. 101(a)(1)(C), new NCPA sec. 3(a)(3)(A)

“The Attorney General shall establish a program, in accordance with this section, to provide qualified entities located in States that do not have in effect procedures described in paragraph (1)”

Same document132 Stat. 1125, new NCPA sec. 3(e)(3)

“do not discourage volunteers from participating in programs to care for children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities”

Public Law 103-209, National Child Protection Act of 1993, 107 Stat. 2490 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, December 20, 1993107 Stat. 2490, long title

“To establish procedures for national criminal background checks for child care providers.”

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Public Law 108-36, Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, 117 Stat. 800 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, June 25, 2003sec. 114(b)(1)(B)(xi), new CAPTA 106(b)(2)(A)(xxii), 117 Stat. 811

“provisions and procedures for requiring criminal background record checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household”

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Public Law 109-248, Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, 120 Stat. 587 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, July 27, 2006sec. 152(c)(2), 120 Stat. 609

“The amendments made by subsection (b) shall take effect on October 1, 2008”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 283 KB)

Public Law 110-351, Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, 122 Stat. 3949 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, October 7, 2008sec. 101(a), new SSA 471(a)(28), 122 Stat. 3950

“at the option of the State, provides for the State to enter into kinship guardianship assistance agreements”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 203 KB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 2024Background, printed page 3 (PDF page 6)

“The last two States finished participation on May 31, 2024.”

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42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, section 658H, as added by Pub. L. 113-186, section 7) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9858f(d)(3)(B)

“not less than once during each 5-year period following the first submission date under this paragraph for that staff member”

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Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program, final rule, 81 FR 67438 (September 30, 2016) Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (Federal Register), September 30, 201681 FR 67500, preamble on section 98.43(d), 'Frequency of Background Checks'

“Although not a requirement, we encourage Lead Agencies to enroll child care staff members in rap back programs.”

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National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Providers: Assessment of State Programs Concluded in 2017 and 2018 (OEI-07-18-00290) Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, August 2019Methodology, 'Data Limitations', printed page 6 (PDF page 9); footnote numbers 35 and 36 omitted

“Congress required an evaluation of the Program's impact on reducing the number of incidents of abuse, neglect, and theft. However, the data available do not permit this analysis.”

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National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 2024Background, printed page 3 (PDF page 6)

“the Act mandated OIG to produce an evaluation of the National Background Check Program within 180 days of its completion”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Public Law 108-173, Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (section 307, long-term care background check pilot), 117 Stat. 2066 Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), official Statutes at Large / Public Law text, December 8, 2003sec. 307(e) and (e)(7), 117 Stat. 2260

“determine the effectiveness of background checks conducted by employment agencies”

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42 U.S.C. 671, State plan for foster care and adoption assistance (Social Security Act section 471) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(A)

“before the foster or adoptive parent may be finally approved for placement of a child”

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42 U.S.C. 1396r, Requirements for nursing facilities (Social Security Act section 1919) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 1396r(b)(5)(C)

“must not use such an individual as a nurse aide unless the facility has inquired of any State registry established under subsection (e)(2)(A)”

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K-12 Education: Selected Cases of Public and Private Schools That Hired or Retained Individuals with Histories of Sexual Misconduct (GAO-11-200) U.S. Government Accountability Office, December 2010printed page 23

“we found no federal laws that restrict the employment of sex offenders in public or private schools or that mandate criminal history checks for employees at these schools.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 612 KB)

BLS Public Data API response for the CES and CPS series used (2026 monthly values) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 27, 2026series CES6562440001, 2026 M08 (GET: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/CES6562440001; readable table: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6562440001)

OriginalOur copy (JSON, 9 KB)

Occupational Outlook Handbook: Childcare Workers U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 14, 2026Quick Facts, 'Number of Jobs, 2025'; Work Environment tab, employer table; Pay tab note

“Number of Jobs, 2025 1,010,300 ... Self-employed workers 24 ... Private households 17 [percent of childcare worker jobs]”

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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: Table 1. National employment and wage data by occupation U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 15, 2026Table 1, row 'Childcare workers', employment column

“Childcare workers ... 518,910”

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BLS Public Data API response for the CES and CPS series used (2026 monthly values) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 27, 2026series CES9093161101, 2026 M08 (GET: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/CES9093161101; readable table: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES9093161101)

OriginalOur copy (JSON, 9 KB)

Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results From the 2023-24 Private School Universe Survey, First Look (NCES 2026-015) National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, May 2026Selected Findings, printed p. 2 (PDF p. 10), citing table C-1

“In 2023-24, there were 30,553 private elementary and secondary schools with 5,096,365 students and 517,780 private school full-time-equivalent (FTE) teachers in the United States (table C-1).”

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Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 6111, all areas and ownerships (open data CSV) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026row area_fips US000, industry 6111, annual_avg_emplvl by own_code (1 federal, 2 state, 3 local, 5 private)

“5614 ... 64918 ... 7462037 ... 984274 [sum 8,516,843 jobs in elementary and secondary schools, 2025]”

OriginalOur copy (CSV, 854 KB)

BLS Public Data API response for the CES and CPS series used (2026 monthly values) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 27, 2026series CES6562300001, 2026 M08 (GET: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/CES6562300001; readable table: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6562300001)

OriginalOur copy (JSON, 9 KB)

BLS Public Data API response for the CES and CPS series used (2026 monthly values) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 27, 2026series CES6562160001, 2026 M08 (GET: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/CES6562160001; readable table: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6562160001)

OriginalOur copy (JSON, 9 KB)

BLS Public Data API response for the CES and CPS series used (2026 monthly values) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 27, 2026series CES6562410001, 2026 M08 (GET: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/CES6562410001; readable table: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES6562410001)

OriginalOur copy (JSON, 9 KB)

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 624120, all areas and ownerships (open data CSV) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026row US000, own_code 5 (private), annual_avg_emplvl

“2715774 [services for the elderly and persons with disabilities, private, 2025]”

OriginalOur copy (CSV, 585 KB)

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, NAICS 6241, all areas and ownerships (open data CSV) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026row US000, own_code 5 (private), annual_avg_emplvl

“3477681 [individual and family services, private, 2025]”

OriginalOur copy (CSV, 825 KB)

The Employment Situation, August 2026: Table A-16. People not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 4, 2026Table A-16, rows 'Total multiple jobholders' and 'Percent of total employed', column Total, Aug. 2026 (not seasonally adjusted)

“Total multiple jobholders ( 4 ) 8,479 8,505 ... Percent of total employed 5.2 5.2”

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The Employment Situation: Technical Note U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 4, 2026Technical Note, differences between the household and establishment surveys

“In the establishment survey, employees working at more than one job and thus appearing on more than one payroll are counted separately for each appearance.”

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Comparing employment from the BLS household and payroll surveys U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 11, 2026comparison table, payroll survey row

“Estimate of jobs (multiple jobholders are counted for each nonfarm payroll job).”

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45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Fund) (eCFR, as of 2026-09-24) Office of the Federal Register / Government Publishing Office (eCFR), eCFR point in time September 24, 202645 CFR 98.43(a)(1)(i)

“Requirements, policies, and procedures to require and conduct background checks ... for child care staff members ... of all licensed, regulated, or registered child care providers and all child care providers eligible to deliver services”

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Child Welfare: Federal Agencies Can Better Support State Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Abuse by School Personnel (GAO-14-42) U.S. Government Accountability Office, January 2014p. 16 (PDF p. 21)

“Forty-six states reported in our survey that they required background checks for applicants seeking employment in a public K-12 school, regardless of whether the position was as a school principal, teacher, or secretary”

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Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2020 (NCJ 305602), prepared by SEARCH for BJS SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics (funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics), December 2022Introduction, p. 13 (PDF p. 27), summary of table 15

“Thirty-eight states conduct national checks for schoolteachers, while 12 states and the District of Columbia conduct both national and state checks for teachers.”

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TAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026Q. 'What is some of the history regarding DOJ efforts...'

“In 2010, DOJ recognized some Tribes lacked access via their state law enforcement network to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and began a pilot project to improve connectivity.”

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TAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026Q. 'What types of criminal offenses can be entered into NCIC?'

“Reporting arrests and final dispositions into FBI CJIS systems is voluntary.”

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28 U.S.C. 534, Acquisition, preservation, and exchange of identification records and information (subsection (d), Indian law enforcement agencies and the Tribal Access Program) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202628 U.S.C. 534(d)(2)(A) (added by Pub. L. 117-103, div. W, sec. 802(b), Mar. 15, 2022)

“The Attorney General shall establish a program, to be known as the "Tribal Access Program", to enhance the ability of tribal governments and their authorized agencies to access, enter information into, and obtain information from national criminal information databases”

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2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, National (United States) file U.S. Census Bureau, August 12, 2021file us000012020.npl, record LOGRECNO 0000001 (United States), field P0010005 (P1 'American Indian and Alaska Native alone')

“PLUS|US|000|01|0000001|331449281|297600338|204277273|41104200|3727135”

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Facts for Features: American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2022 (CB22-FF.10) U.S. Census Bureau, October 11, 2022'Did You Know?' first item

“3.7 million The nation's American Indian and Alaska Native population alone in 2020. This population group identifies as AIAN only and did not identify with any other race.”

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2024 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community (report) U.S. Department of Defense, ODASD (Military Community and Family Policy), under contract with ICF, 2024 profileExecutive Summary, Overview of Military Families, p. v (PDF p. 24)

“Across the active-duty and selected reserve family member population, there are 2,372,286 family members”

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2024 Demographics: Profile of the Military Community (report) U.S. Department of Defense, ODASD (Military Community and Family Policy), under contract with ICF, 2024 profileGuidelines for Interpreting Data, p. vii (PDF p. 26)

“Currently, dependent data is extracted from DEERS based on the dependent's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Status. Only those dependents in receipt of this benefit were reported.”

OriginalArchived copy

2025 Demographics Profile: Active-Duty Families (placeholder page reading COMING SOON) U.S. Department of Defense (Military OneSource), Read September 27, 2026p. 1

“2025 Demographics Profile Active-Duty Families (COMING SOON)”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 121 KB)

Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026program description

“There are currently 159 Tribes with over 500 tribal government agencies participating in TAP.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 84 KB)

TAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026Q. 'Will our access to state data continue?'

“Yes, your access to state data will continue as it currently exists. DOJ does not discourage a Tribe from using the state system for access.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 129 KB)

28 U.S.C. 534, Acquisition, preservation, and exchange of identification records and information (subsection (d), Indian law enforcement agencies and the Tribal Access Program) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202628 U.S.C. 534(d)(1)

“The Attorney General shall permit tribal and Bureau of Indian Affairs law enforcement agencies- (A) to access and enter information into Federal criminal information databases; and (B) to obtain information from the databases.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (HTML, 191 KB)

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Frequently Asked Questions Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, Undated; read September 27, 2026first answer ('What is a federally recognized tribe?')

“At present, there are 575 federally recognized tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 127 KB)

Tribal Leaders Directory Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, Undatedcount heading

“There are 575 Federally Recognized Tribes as of 1/30/2026.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 48 KB)

Same document91 FR 4102, Supplementary Information (the paragraph continues on 4103)

“This list includes the addition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina following the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 on December 18, 2025.”

Evaluation of DoD Law Enforcement Organization Submissions of Criminal History Information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (DODIG-2020-064, redacted) Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense, February 21, 2020Results in Brief, p. ii (PDF p. 4)

“We determined that the LEOs submitted all 912 (100 percent) fingerprint and final disposition reports that were required to be submitted to the applicable FBI CJIS Division databases.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 8.4 MB)

Evaluation of DoD Law Enforcement Organization Submissions of Criminal History Information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (DODIG-2020-064, redacted) Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense, February 21, 2020Results in Brief, Table 1, printed p. iii (PDF p. 5), Final Disposition Reports, Total row, 2019 columns

Table cells: Req "912", Sub "912", Sub % "100%"

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 8.4 MB)

Same documentOverall Conclusions, printed p. 40 (PDF p. 50)

“Of 2,502 required final disposition reports required to be submitted, 780 (31 percent) were missing.”

36 U.S.C. chapter 2205 (United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee; includes 220530 and the Center for SafeSport) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Current prelim text, read September 27, 202636 U.S.C. 220530(a) (the Safe Sport law's duties for youth sports organizations); whole chapter 2205 searched

“An applicable amateur sports organization shall ... (1) comply with the reporting requirements of section 226 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 ... (2) establish reasonable procedures to limit one-on-one interactions”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (HTML, 494 KB)

34 U.S.C. 20351, Requirement for background checks (federal agencies and facilities providing child care services) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 20351(a)(1) and (e)

“Federal agencies and facilities are encouraged to submit identifying information for criminal history checks on volunteers working in any of the positions listed in subsection (a)”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 149 KB)

42 U.S.C. 12645g, Criminal history checks (national service) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 12645g(a); (d)(2)(A)

“Each entity selecting individuals to serve in a position in which the individuals receive a living allowance, stipend, national service educational award, or salary ... shall ... conduct criminal history checks for such individuals.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 153 KB)

Press release CB24-TPS.112, Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement U.S. Census Bureau, November 19, 2024Press release CB24-TPS.112, paragraph beginning 'The Census Bureau conducts this AmeriCorps-sponsored survey'

“Data were collected from Sept. 17-26, 2023.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 340 KB)

Upcoming Releases (data.census.gov, API, Microdata Access) U.S. Census Bureau, September 24, 2026October 2026 section, row dated 10/8/2026 (page last revised September 24, 2026)

Table cells (release date | platform | dataset): 10/8/2026 | Microdata Access & API | September 2025 Current Population Survey Volunteering and Civic Life Supplement

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 307 KB)

Current Population Survey, September 2023 Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement, Technical Documentation U.S. Census Bureau, 2024Printed p. 1-1 (Abstract) and p. 3-1; record layout items PES16, PES16A, PES16D, PTS16E, PES16F (PDF pp. 120 to 122)

“The Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement questions were asked for randomly selected household members age 16 years old or older.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 2.0 MB)

2023 CEV Data: Current Population Survey Civic Engagement and Volunteering Supplement (dataset be5g-4c5r), analytic codebook rows AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation (data collected by the Census Bureau), November 15, 2024Codebook rows 'coached' (pes16c1), 'mentored' (pes16c3) and 'voledu' (pes16b2)

“Data record 'mentored': question "In the past 12 months, did [you/he/she] mentor youth [for an organization]?"; in_2017_dataset true; in_2019_dataset false; in_2021_dataset false; in_2023_dataset false”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (JSON, 37 KB)

U.S. Volunteerism Rebounding After COVID-19 Pandemic (America Counts) U.S. Census Bureau (with AmeriCorps), November 19, 2024Lead paragraph

“formally volunteered through an organization”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 369 KB)

More than 75.7 Million People Volunteered in America, AmeriCorps Reports (press release) AmeriCorps (federal agency), November 19, 2024Paragraphs after the CEO quote

“Volunteers support American schools and shelters, hospitals and hotlines, food banks, and civic, nonprofit, tribal and faith-based organizations across the country.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 89 KB)

2026 U.S. Trends in Team Sports Report, Participation Foundational Data: one-page overview Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), September 2026One-page overview, chart 'Current youth coaches' and text block

“Meanwhile, the number of current youth coaches declined for a third consecutive year.”

Original

SFIA, How Many Youth Sports Coaches Are There in the U.S.? (April 10, 2026; modified June 30, 2026)

OriginalArchived copy

Same document'About the Research' paragraph

“The participation data is based on 18,000 online interviews conducted during the 2025 calendar year with a nationwide sample representative of the U.S. population ages ...” …

USA Swimming Registration (officials resources) Pacific Northwest Swimming (USA Swimming local swimming committee), UndatedSection '2. USA Swimming Background Check (BGC)'

“USA Swimming requires that you pass their screening process. Background checks for another job or another volunteer organization are not transferrable.”

OriginalArchived copy

Volunteer Dashboard (AYSO wiki) American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), UndatedParagraph on 'The third requirement is only applicable in California'

“Live Scan only needs to be completed once per volunteer. Live Scan completed for other organizations cannot be used by AYSO for your privacy.”

Original

Athlete Safety (background check FAQ) United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), Undated; read September 27, 2026FAQ, question 'If I already have been background checked by another organization for employment or other volunteer purposes, can USSSA accept the results of that background check?'

“Unfortunately, USSSA cannot accept background check results from another organization.”

OriginalArchived copy

USA Swimming Registration (officials resources) Pacific Northwest Swimming (USA Swimming local swimming committee), UndatedSection '2. USA Swimming Background Check (BGC)'

“Background checks for another job or another volunteer organization are not transferrable.”

OriginalArchived copy

Volunteer Dashboard (AYSO wiki) American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), UndatedCalifornia Live Scan paragraph

“Live Scan completed for other organizations cannot be used by AYSO for your privacy.”

Original

Athlete Safety (background check FAQ) United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), Undated; read September 27, 2026FAQ, question 'If I already have been background checked by another organization for employment or other volunteer purposes, can USSSA accept the results of that background check?'

“Unfortunately, USSSA cannot accept background check results from another organization.”

OriginalArchived copy

2024 Parenting Survey: Final Report (National Youth Sports Parent Survey) Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, with Utah State University and Louisiana Tech University, June 2025PDF page 27, survey item and table

“Should it be necessary for your child's coach to pass a mandatory CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK as a precondition to serving as their coach? ... Yes ...” …

OriginalArchived copy

2024 Parenting Survey: Final Report (National Youth Sports Parent Survey) Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, with Utah State University and Louisiana Tech University, June 2025PDF page 4, Background

“The study described in this report utilized a nationally representative sample of 1848 youth sports parents whose children were participating regularly in one or more ...” …

OriginalArchived copy

Child Welfare: Federal Agencies Can Better Support State Efforts to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Abuse by School Personnel (GAO-14-42) U.S. Government Accountability Office, January 2014p. 16 (PDF p. 21)

“Forty-six states reported in our survey that they required background checks for applicants seeking employment in a public K-12 school”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 3.8 MB)

State Requirements for Conducting Background Checks on Home Health Agency Employees (OEI-07-14-00131), govinfo copy Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 29, 2014Results, p. 3

“In the Absence of Federal Laws, 41 States Require HHAs To Conduct Background Checks on Prospective Employees”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 713 KB)

Personal Care Services: Trends, Vulnerabilities, and Recommendations for Improvement (OIG-12-12-01) Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, November 2012Background, p. 1 (PDF p. 8)

“Although there are no Federal requirements for PCS attendants, States are required to develop qualifications or requirements for attendants to ensure quality of care.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 2.7 MB)

TAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026Q. 'What types of criminal offenses can be entered into NCIC?'

“Reporting arrests and final dispositions into FBI CJIS systems is voluntary.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 129 KB)

TAP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Tribal Justice, Undated; read September 27, 2026Q. 'Will our access to state data continue?'

“Yes, your access to state data will continue as it currently exists.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 129 KB)

Evaluation of Fingerprint Card and Final Disposition Report Submissions by Military Service Law Enforcement Organizations (DODIG-2018-035) Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense, December 4, 2017Results in Brief, p. i

“Of the 2,502 final disposition reports required to be submitted, 780 (31 percent) were not submitted.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 5.5 MB)

34 U.S.C. 40102, Background checks (National Child Protection Act of 1993, as amended) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 40102(a)(1)

“A State may have in effect procedures (established by State statute or regulation) that require qualified entities designated by the State to contact an authorized agency of the State to request a nationwide background check...”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 190 KB)

34 U.S.C. 20351, Requirement for background checks (federal agencies and facilities providing child care services) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 20351(e)

“Federal agencies and facilities are encouraged to submit identifying information for criminal history checks on volunteers working in any of the positions listed in subsection (a)”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 149 KB)

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program, final rule, 81 FR 67438 (FR Doc. 2016-22986) HHS Administration for Children and Families, Federal Register, September 30, 201681 FR 67495

“Volunteers are not specifically included in the Act, nor have we specifically included them in the regulation.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.3 MB)

AmeriCorps, 2023 CEV Data (dataset be5g-4c5r) AmeriCorps and U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 supplement (September 2023)microdata tabulated by FComply: volunteers who mentored youth, 2023 volunteers with 2017 shares

OriginalArchived copy

42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (CCDBG Act section 658H, added by Pub. L. 113-186, section 7, Nov. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 1990) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9858f(d)(3)(B) and (d)(4)(A)(ii)

“not less than once during each 5-year period following the first submission date under this paragraph for that staff member.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 164 KB)

Privacy Impact Assessment, Next Generation Identification (NGI) Rap Back Service FBI (U.S. Department of Justice), Approved June 13, 2025Section 2.1, printed page 4 (PDF page 5)

“if a person has changed occupations or retired, the subscriber must notify the submitter to remove the subscription from the Rap Back Service within five business days”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 464 KB)

Privacy Impact Assessment, Next Generation Identification (NGI) Rap Back Service FBI (U.S. Department of Justice), Approved June 13, 2025Section 2.1, printed page 2 (PDF page 3)

“Currently there are eleven state agencies, eleven federal agencies, and ten other authorized entities approved to participate in the NGI Noncriminal Justice Rap Back Service.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 464 KB)

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Background Check Program, National HCBS Conference presentation Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, September 3, 2015slide 36

“FL state rap back, January 2013 - May 2014: Processed 259,321 applications / 4,353 rap back hits / 1,337 individuals (30%) went from Eligible to Not Eligible for offenses including: Grand Theft, Battery and Assault, Sex Offenses, Exploitation of the Elderly”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

FComply, About page (live site) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (fcomply.com), Read September 27, 2026About page, mission paragraph (first section)

“"ensuring that anyone working with vulnerable populations is truly who they say they are and has been vetted for safety, every year."”

OriginalArchived copy

FComply, Complied ID product page (live site) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (fcomply.com), Page last modified May 20, 2026Complied ID page, 'The FComply Solution' steps and 'Key Benefits'

"Step 2: Comprehensive Screening (Coming Soon)" followed by "Federal & state background checks" and "Law enforcement integrations"; Key Benefits: "Universal identity across organizations"

OriginalArchived copy

42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (section 658H of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, added by Pub. L. 113-186, sec. 7, Nov. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 1990) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9858f(d)(4)(A)(ii) (a prior check carries over only within the same state)

“"(ii) while employed by or seeking employment by another child care provider within the State;"”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 143 KB)

42 U.S.C. 1396r, Requirements for nursing facilities (nurse aide registry, (e)(2)) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Current prelim text, read September 27, 202642 U.S.C. 1396r(e)(2)(A), (B)

“the State shall establish and maintain a registry of all individuals who have satisfactorily completed a nurse aide training and competency evaluation program”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (HTML, 404 KB)

34 U.S.C. 20990, National registry of substantiated cases of child abuse Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 20990(a)

“The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Attorney General, shall create a national registry of substantiated cases of child abuse or neglect.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 151 KB)

Report to the Congress on the Feasibility of Creating and Maintaining a National Registry of Child Maltreatment Perpetrators HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), August 31, 2012Introduction, printed page 1 (PDF page 11)

“While no funds have been appropriated for the development of a national registry, the Congress did designate that a portion of FY 2009 funds ... be used for the feasibility study.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 442 KB)

Team Sports Participation Reaches Record High as Youth Coaching Base Declines (press release) Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), a trade association, September 24, 2026Fourth paragraph and 'About the Research' (6.9M on the summary slide: not a government statistic)

“The number of current youth team sport coaches declined for the third consecutive year, falling from 8.4 million in 2022 to 6.9 million in 2025.”

Original

State of Play 2025: Coaching Trends Aspen Institute Project Play, 2025Finding 4 (the 88 percent earlier in the same section: not a government statistic)

“Nearly 9 in 10 youth sports parents (88%) say their child’s coach should pass a criminal background check, according to an Aspen Institute survey with ...” …

OriginalArchived copy

Same documentIntroduction, "Overview of state criminal history record system functions, 2022 (table 1a)", printed page 3 (PDF page 17)

“15,543,500 were used and submitted for noncriminal justice licensing, employment, and regulatory purposes (numbers do not sum to total due to rounding).”

45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 45, Volume 1, revised as of October 1, 2025) Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), October 1, 2025 annual edition45 CFR 98.43(b)(3)(i), p. 558

“State criminal registry or repository, with the use of fingerprints being”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 205 KB)

42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, section 658H, as added by Pub. L. 113-186, section 7) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9858f(b)(3) to (5)

“a search of the National Crime Information Center; (4) a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check using the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System; and (5) a search of the National Sex Offender Registry”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 164 KB)

Interagency Task Force on Child Safety, Report to Congress (41 pages) Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Undatedpage 7, 'Background Checks: Current Processes, Challenges, and Best Practices'

“CCDBG background check processes vary by state and by type of check.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 497 KB)

45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Fund) eCFR, Office of the Federal Register and GPO, eCFR current to September 24, 202645 CFR 98.43(g)

“The State or Territory must ensure that its policies and procedures under this section, including the process by which a child care provider or other State or Territory may submit a background check request, are published”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (XML, 12 KB)

42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (CCDBG Act section 658H, added by Pub. L. 113-186, section 7, Nov. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 1990) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 9858f(b) (source line check)

“A criminal background check for a child care staff member under subsection (a) shall include”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 164 KB)

States' Status of and Identified Barriers to Implementation of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 Out-of-State Background Check Requirements (OPRE Report 2021-15) Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, HHS Administration for Children and Families (prepared by CNA under contract), January 2021printed page 19 (PDF page 20), "Lack of Transparent Processes"

“Complicating matters more, these processes not only vary by state, but may also vary by registry check within a state.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 696 KB)

The Child Care and Development Block Grant: In Brief (R47312) Congressional Research Service, Updated December 3, 2024printed page 10 (PDF page 13), paragraph before "Consumer Education", and footnote 67

“A report containing the task force’s conclusions was issued in October 2022.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 899 KB)

Improving Child Care Access, Affordability, and Stability in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), final rule, 89 FR 15366 HHS Administration for Children and Families, Federal Register (govinfo), March 1, 202489 FR 15386 (PDF page 21), discussion of 45 CFR 98.43(d)(4)

“In both these instances, submitting background checks is insufficient for working with children because it is necessary to first receive qualifying results.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 891 KB)

Same documentpage 9, first bullet ("Hiring before criminal check results")

“It is extremely concerning that CCDF Plan data indicates that at least 19 states allow child care staff to be hired prior to completion of either the FBI or the in-state criminal history check.”

Interagency Task Force on Child Safety, Report to Congress (41 pages) Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Undatedpage 9, second bullet (related evidence, not corroboration)

“For many counties, the only fingerprinting option is hard copy fingerprint cards.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 497 KB)

General FBI Criminal History Background Check (Fingerprinting FAQs, COVID-19) Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, 2020PDF page 1, question 2 (related evidence, pandemic period only)

“However, as of April 29, 2020 more than half of the locations across the state are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Original

Fingerprinting City of Aspen, Colorado (aspen.gov), Undated; read September 27, 2026opening notice (related evidence, not corroboration)

“Effective July 1, 2026, Identogo is no longer providing electronic fingerprinting services at the Aspen Police Department.”

OriginalArchived copy

Background Checks Webinar Q&A Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, January 25, 2024PDF page 2, answer to "How long are background checks currently taking on average?"

“3% (637 out of 18,771) of the background checks required a suitability assessment, which took an average of 15 days.”

OriginalArchived copy

Civilian Services (WebCheck Background Checks) Ohio Attorney General, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Undated; read September 27, 2026opening paragraph under "Civilian Services" (WebCheck)

“providing results usually within a matter of days. (Complicated cases can take up to 30 days.)”

OriginalArchived copy

Guide to Understanding Criminal History Record Check Information Illinois State Police, Bureau of Identification, August 2011responses chapter, printed page 68 (PDF page 73)

“Inquiries that receive a “held” response initially can take between 30 to 45 days to complete.”

OriginalArchived copy

Same documentAppendix, page 4 (second provider)

“DCYF does not have a finger print site in Yakima, WA. The nearest location is a three-hour round trip.”

California Department of Justice, Fingerprint Background Checks State of California, Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Page modified November 5, 2021'The Background Check Process', first paragraph

“The applicant completes the form with his/her personal information and takes the form to a live scan operator where the applicant must provide the appropriate identification.”

OriginalArchived copy

California Department of Justice, Fingerprints: Applicant Agencies State of California, Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Page modified July 21, 2026applicant fingerprint submission instructions, NOTE

“NOTE: The applicant must present valid photo identification to the Live Scan provider. Expired identification will not be accepted.”

OriginalArchived copy

34 U.S.C. 40316, National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Pub. L. 105-251, title II, sec. 217, Oct. 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 1876), Article V U.S. Code, 2024 edition (govinfo.gov, Government Publishing Office); same text in the Office of the Law Revision Counsel's current edition, 2024 edition of the U.S. CodeArticle V(a), 'Positive identification'

“Subject fingerprints or other approved forms of positive identification shall be submitted with all requests for criminal history record checks for noncriminal justice purposes.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (HTML, 36 KB)

GAO-10-922T, State Department: Undercover Tests Show Passport Issuance Process Remains Vulnerable to Fraud (testimony) U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 29, 2010Highlights page

“GAO created documents for seven fictitious or deceased individuals using off-the-shelf, commercially available hardware, software, and materials.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 402 KB)

GAO-10-922T, State Department: Undercover Tests Show Passport Issuance Process Remains Vulnerable to Fraud (testimony) U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 29, 2010printed pages 6 and 7, Table 1, 'Date of Application' column

“3/10/10 ... 5/26/10”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 402 KB)

Same documentprinted page 5, Table 1, 'Month of application' column

“July 2008 / August 2008 / October 2008 / December 2008”

GAO-10-922T, State Department: Undercover Tests Show Passport Issuance Process Remains Vulnerable to Fraud (testimony) U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 29, 2010printed page 5, first paragraph under 'Covert Testing of State's Passport Issuance Process Shows That Vulnerabilities Remain'

“State’s passport issuance process continues to be vulnerable to fraud, as the agency issued five of the seven passports GAO attempted to fraudulently obtain.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 402 KB)

GAO-10-922T, State Department: Undercover Tests Show Passport Issuance Process Remains Vulnerable to Fraud (testimony) U.S. Government Accountability Office, July 29, 2010printed page 5, same paragraph

“GAO successfully obtained three of these passports, but State had two others recovered from the mail before they were delivered.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 402 KB)

Same documentHighlights page

“All four passports were issued to the same GAO investigator, under four different names.”

Same documentprinted page 22, same paragraph

“In most of these five attempts across the three states, we were issued permanent or temporary licenses in about 1 hour or less.”

Same documentprinted page 2 (objectives, scope and methodology)

“We chose states with certain identified vulnerabilities in their procedures. The results from these three states cannot be generalized to others.”

Same documentprinted page 24

“None of the front-line clerks in the offices where we applied for licenses questioned the validity of the counterfeit birth certificates presented.”

Compact Council, Security and Management Control Outsourcing Standard for Channeling (approved by the Council November 29, 2023) Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council, November 29, 2023introduction (page 1, before section 1.0)

“A Channeler is an entity selected by the FBI to obtain a direct connection to the FBI Next Generation Identification (NGI) System, for the purpose of submitting fingerprints and receiving CHRI on behalf of an Authorized Recipient.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 287 KB)

28 CFR part 906, Outsourcing of Noncriminal Justice Administrative Functions (Compact Council rule; 69 FR 75245, Dec. 16, 2004) Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), point-in-time 2026-09-01, September 1, 202628 CFR 906.1 (purpose and authority)

“The purpose of this part 906 is to establish rules and procedures for third parties to perform noncriminal justice administrative functions involving access to Interstate Identification Index (III) information.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (XML, 5 KB)

First Advantage Biometric Information Privacy and Record Retention Policy First Advantage, Undated; read September 27, 2026Biometric Information Privacy Notice, opening paragraph

“This notice describes the biometric data handling practices of First Advantage and its subsidiaries, including STS SID LLC dba First Advantage Biometrics”

OriginalArchived copy

1A Tampa Livescan Fingerprinting, Contact Us 1A Tampa Livescan Fingerprinting LLC, Undated; read September 27, 2026Contact Us, address

“1211 N West Shore Boulevard, Suite 103. Tampa, Florida 33607”

OriginalArchived copy

Colorado Fingerprinting (powered by American BioIdentity), home page American BioIdentity Inc., Undated; read September 27, 2026home page, service text

“Schedule an appointment at any of our Colorado locations today.”

OriginalArchived copy

American BioIdentity, CABS billing agreement (PDF) American BioIdentity Inc., Undated; read September 27, 2026page 1

“ABI will provide fingerprint capture services at ABI’s fingerprinting locations or through a mobile collector at applicant’s location throughout Colorado.”

OriginalArchived copy

The Attorney General's Report on Criminal History Background Checks U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General (hosted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics), June 2006printed page 26, Section III.E.3, 'The Compact's Requirement for State Background Checks'

“The role of the states in civil background checks was also strengthened with the passage of the Compact.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.3 MB)

California Department of Justice, Fingerprint Background Checks State of California, Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General, Page modified November 5, 2021'The Background Check Process', paragraph beginning 'If an FBI criminal background check is requested'

“If an FBI criminal background check is requested, the fingerprint images are forwarded to the FBI to perform a fingerprint-based search of records in the national criminal history database.”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, How Long Does It Take? State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program (Health Licensing Boards), UndatedStandard Process, step 2, 'Transmit Fingerprints'

“The CBCP transmits the prints to the BCA, who in turn transmit them to the FBI.”

OriginalArchived copy

First Advantage, Fingerprint Background Checks First Advantage, Undated; read September 27, 2026statistics panel

“700+ / Live scan collection locations across 50 states and Washington D.C.”

OriginalArchived copy

First Advantage Biometrics, Fingerprinting Hub STS SID LLC (dba First Advantage Biometrics), Undated; read September 27, 2026Resource Center

“First Advantage Biometrics provides a nationwide live-scan fingerprinting collection network with locations in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.”

OriginalArchived copy

IdentoGO by IDEMIA, About IDEMIA Identity & Security USA LLC, Undated; read September 27, 2026About

“our company serves over 5 million individuals annually with our network of offices throughout each state.”

OriginalArchived copy

Fieldprint, Livescan Fingerprinting Network Fieldprint Inc., Undated; read September 27, 2026opening paragraph

“Fieldprint has the largest nationwide electronic fingerprinting network with more than 2,200 stationary Livescan collection sites.”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, home page State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program, Undatedopening paragraph

“The Criminal Background Check Program (CBCP) provides criminal background check (CBC) services to sixteen of the Minnesota Health Related Licensing Boards (HLBs).”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, Tips for Improving Fingerprint Quality ('updated 2023') State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program, 2023page 1, 'Why Does Fingerprint Quality Matter'

“Approximately 2 percent (about 400 per year) of all fingerprints received in the Criminal Background Check Program (CBCP) for the Health Professionals Regulatory Boards are rejected.”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, How Long Does It Take? State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program (Health Licensing Boards), Undated'NOTE: Additional time required for prints found to be unclassifiable by the FBI', first sentence

“If the report is returned to the CBCP with notification that your prints were not classifiable, you will be required to submit a second set of fingerprints.”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, Tips for Improving Fingerprint Quality ('updated 2023') State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program, 2023page 1, 'Why Does Fingerprint Quality Matter'

“If the FBI rejects your fingerprints, you will have to resubmit new fingerprints, which will delay your background check.”

OriginalArchived copy

Minnesota Criminal Background Check Program, How Long Does It Take? State of Minnesota, Criminal Background Check Program (Health Licensing Boards), Undatedsame note

“It is a requirement under current Minnesota law that two sets of fingerprints be rejected before an alternative method is allowed.”

OriginalArchived copy

34 U.S.C. 40316, National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Pub. L. 105-251, title II, section 217, Oct. 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 1876) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives, Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 40316, Article I(13)

“means the cooperative Federal-State system for the exchange of criminal history records”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 185 KB)

45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Fund) eCFR, Office of the Federal Register and GPO, eCFR current to September 24, 202645 CFR 98.43(d)(3)(i)(B)

“While employed by or seeking employment by another child care provider within the State;”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (XML, 12 KB)

Fingerprinting FAQ (Child Care Regulation background checks) Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Undatedanswer to "How often do I have to complete fingerprinting?" (live page, 2026-09-27)

“New fingerprints are not required as long as CCR has an active subscription or can reactivate a subscription to the FBI's national rap back service for the person.”

OriginalArchived copy

42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l, Nationwide program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities and providers (enacted by Pub. L. 111-148, title VI, sec. 6201, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 721) Office of the Law Revision Counsel / U.S. Government Publishing Office (United States Code, 2024 edition), United States Code 2024 edition42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l(a), 2024 ed. page 2654 (purpose of the program)

“shall establish a program to identify efficient, effective, and economical procedures for long term care facilities or providers to conduct background checks on prospective direct patient access employees on a nationwide basis”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 157 KB)

42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l, Nationwide program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities and providers (enacted by Pub. L. 111-148, title VI, sec. 6201, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 721) Office of the Law Revision Counsel / U.S. Government Publishing Office (United States Code, 2024 edition), United States Code 2024 edition42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l(b)(1), 2024 ed. page 2657 (funding cap)

“except that in no case shall such amount exceed $160,000,000.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 157 KB)

42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l, Nationwide program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities and providers (enacted by Pub. L. 111-148, title VI, sec. 6201, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 721) Office of the Law Revision Counsel / U.S. Government Publishing Office (United States Code, 2024 edition), United States Code 2024 edition42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l(a)(5)(A)(ii), 2024 ed. page 2656 (federal match)

“shall be 3 times the amount that the State guarantees to make available under clause (i), except that in no case may the payment amount exceed $3,000,000.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 157 KB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Appendix C, printed page 15 (PDF page 18)

“In August 2019, OIG published an evaluation of 11 States that concluded program participation in 2017 and 2018.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Providers: Assessment of State Programs Concluded Between 2013 and 2016 (OEI-07-16-00160) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, April 22, 2019Methodology, Scope, printed page 4 (PDF page 7)

“We evaluated each of the Programs for the 10 States that concluded participation between 2013 and 2016: Alaska, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, and Rhode Island.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 2.8 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Appendix C, printed page 16 (PDF page 19)

“In April 2019, OIG published an evaluation of the National Background Check program for Long-Term-Care Providers for the 10 States that concluded their participation by 2016.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Providers: Assessment of State Programs Concluded in 2017 and 2018 (OEI-07-18-00290) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, August 21, 2019Background, printed page 2 (PDF page 5)

“The Program awarded grants of up to $3 million to each of 29 States that applied for Program participation in fiscal years (FYs) 2010 through 2018.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 4.2 MB)

Same documentReport in Brief (PDF page 2)

“provided Federal financial assistance for States (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico) to develop or enhance systems for long-term care settings to conduct background checks on prospective employees.”

Same documentAppendix A, printed page 13 (PDF page 16): 29 rows, first award 9/30/2010 (Delaware, Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Missouri, Rhode Island), last end 5/31/2024 (Idaho, Mississippi)

“Maryland and Wisconsin withdrew from the program early.”

42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l, Nationwide program for national and State background checks on direct patient access employees of long-term care facilities and providers (enacted by Pub. L. 111-148, title VI, sec. 6201, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 721) Office of the Law Revision Counsel / U.S. Government Publishing Office (United States Code, 2024 edition), United States Code 2024 edition42 U.S.C. 1320a-7l(a)(7)(A)(ii)(IV), 2024 ed. page 2657 (the evaluation topic the sentence refers to)

“An assessment of the impact of the nationwide program on reducing the number of incidents of neglect, abuse, and misappropriation of resident property to the extent practicable.”

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National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Findings, printed page 6 (PDF page 9) (the later, indicator-based conclusion)

“The States' experiences and the continued disqualification of potential employees from employment suggest that the program was successful in preventing residents from experiencing abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of their property.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Findings, printed page 5 (PDF page 8)

“There are several indicators that the National Background Check Program was successful in preventing residents from experiencing abuse, neglect, and misappropriation of their property.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2022 (NCJ 309360), BJS publication page Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 19, 2024publication summary

“This report presents a snapshot as of December 31, 2022.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 58 KB)

Same documentTable 1, "Overview of state criminal history record systems, December 31, 2022", Total row, column "Arrests in the entire database with final dispositions" (PDF page 25)

“Total ... 73%”

Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative (SOMAPI), Chapter 8: Sex Offender Management Strategies, by Chris Lobanov-Rostovsky U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, SMART Office (page marked 'Archived'), SOMAPI full report updated March 2017Chapter 8, registration and notification studies paragraph (HTML page; no page numbers)

“It was also noted that 94.1 percent of child molestation arrests were for first-time sex offenders (Sandler, Freeman & Socia, 2008).”

OriginalArchived copy

Declaration of Kelly M. Socia, Ph.D., Sex Crime Arrest Data and the Recidivism of Individuals with Sex Crime Convictions (dated 2021-11-09, amended 2023-02-20), Exhibit 9A, ECF No. 123-11, Case 2:22-cv-10209-MAG-CI, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, filed 2023-10-02 Court filing, hosted by the ACLU of Michigan, October 2, 2023ECF page 8 of 55, PageID.4331 (printed page 5), paragraph 3

“In New York, 95% of the individuals arrested for sex crimes between 1986 and 2006 did not have a prior registrable sex crime conviction on the record at the time of the offense.”

OriginalArchived copy

Same documentDiscussion, page 297 (what 'first-time' means)

“as none of these offenders had any prior convictions for sexual offenses, none of them were on the sex offender registry”

Same documentPrinted page 5 (PDF page 8)

“During participation, 25 of the 29 States collected data and reported on the number of prospective employees who received background checks and were disqualified from employment.”

Same documentEndnote 17, printed page 22 (PDF page 25)

“Twenty-five States reported data to the Contractor; however, four States did not include the variable needed to conduct this analysis, so any disqualifications these States made are not included in the total.”

Same documentAppendix D, printed page 17 (PDF page 20), column heading and note

“Checks with Determinations of Ineligibility ... Kansas, Maryland, Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin did not report data during the program.”

Same documentPrinted page 28 (PDF page 43)

“The parent(s) could have acted together, acted alone, or acted with up to two other people to maltreat the child.”

Same documentTable 3-9, Victims by Relationship to Their Perpetrators, 2024, printed page 52 (PDF page 67)

“Total Parents 435,390 89.1 ... National 488,705 528,145 108.1 ... Based on data from 47 states.”

Same documentChapter 3, Number of Child Victims, printed page 25 (PDF page 40)

“Victim: A child for whom the state determined at least one maltreatment was substantiated or indicated.”

Child Maltreatment 2024 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau, January 16, 2026Printed page 28 (PDF page 43)

“The FFY 2024 data shows 89.1 percent of victims are maltreated by one or both parents.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 6.8 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Providers: Assessment of State Programs Concluded in 2017 and 2018 (OEI-07-18-00290) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, August 21, 2019Printed page 6 (PDF page 9)

“However, the data available do not permit this analysis.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 4.2 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term-Care Providers: Assessment of State Programs Concluded in 2017 and 2018 (OEI-07-18-00290) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, August 21, 2019Report in Brief (PDF page 2), Why OIG Did This Review (counterweight)

“Background checks are an important safety measure that can help protect the 9 million beneficiaries who rely on long-term-care services each year for safe, dependable care.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 4.2 MB)

45 CFR 1356.30, Safety requirements for foster care and adoptive home providers (title IV-E) Office of the Federal Register / U.S. Government Publishing Office (Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR Ch. XIII, 10-1-25 edition), Revised as of October 1, 202545 CFR 1356.30(a), 10-1-25 edition page 378

“The title IV-E agency must provide documentation that criminal records checks have been conducted with respect to prospective foster and adoptive parents.”

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42 U.S.C. 671 (State plan for foster care and adoption assistance), 2024 edition U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo.gov), United States Code 2024 edition, Read September 27, 202642 U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(A), 2024 ed. page 2361

“provides procedures for criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases ... for any prospective foster or adoptive parent before the foster or adoptive parent may be finally approved for placement of a child”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 218 KB)

45 CFR 98.43, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Fund) Office of the Federal Register / U.S. Government Publishing Office (Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR Subtitle A, 10-1-25 edition), Revised as of October 1, 202545 CFR 98.43(a)(1)(i), 10-1-25 edition page 557

“Requirements, policies, and procedures to require and conduct background checks, and make a determination of eligibility for child care staff members (including prospective child care staff members)”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 205 KB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Endnote 17, printed page 22 (PDF page 25), with Appendix D note, printed page 17

“four States did not include the variable needed to conduct this analysis, so any disqualifications these States made are not included in the total.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

National Background Check Program for Long-Term Care Providers: A Final Assessment (OEI-07-24-00100) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, November 4, 2024Appendix C, printed page 15 (PDF page 18), on OEI-07-20-00180 (September 2020)

“require participating States to consistently submit data that allow CMS and each State to calculate determinations of ineligibility.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.5 MB)

42 U.S.C. 9858f, Criminal background checks (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act; section as amended generally by Pub. L. 113-186, Nov. 19, 2014) Office of the Law Revision Counsel / U.S. Government Publishing Office (United States Code, 2024 edition), United States Code 2024 edition42 U.S.C. 9858f(e)(2)(C), 2024 ed. page 7926

“No State shall publicly release or share the results of individual background checks, except States may release aggregated data by crime”

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42 U.S.C. 9858f(e)(1) (Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, background check results) U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2024 edition (govinfo), 2024 main edition42 U.S.C. 9858f(e)(1); 2024 ed., title 42, p. 7926

“The State shall carry out the request of a child care provider for a criminal background check as expeditiously as possible, but not to exceed 45 days after the date on which such request was submitted”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (PDF, 143 KB)

34 U.S.C. 41308 (State requirements for reporting missing children) U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2024 edition (govinfo), 2024 main edition34 U.S.C. 41308(3) (closing words); 2024 ed., title 34, pp. 643 to 644

“is entered within 2 hours of receipt into the State law enforcement system, the National Crime Information Center computer networks, and the NamUs databases”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 139 KB)

25 U.S.C. 3203(c)(1) (Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, written report of child abuse) U.S. Government Publishing Office, United States Code, 2024 edition (govinfo), 2024 main edition25 U.S.C. 3203(c)(1)

“Within 36 hours after receiving an initial report described in subsection (b), the receiving agency shall prepare a written report”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 135 KB)

ACYF-CB-PI-15-07, New Legislation: Public Law 113-183, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (Program Instruction) HHS Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau, June 26, 2015page 2 (printed), second list

“become effective no later than September 29, 2016: ... A new requirement that the title IV-E agency report information on missing or abducted children ... There is no delayed effective date permitted for these provisions.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 230 KB)

HHS Office of Inspector General, State Agencies Did Not Always Ensure That Children Missing From Foster Care Were Reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Accordance With Federal Requirements, A-07-21-06102 HHS Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services, March 2, 2023printed p. 6, 'ACF Guidance' (restated in Appendix B, p. 14)

“within 2 years of enactment of the Strengthening Families Act (i.e., by September 29, 2016), Title IV-E agencies ... will develop and implement protocols to report missing or abducted children immediately (no later than 24 hours after receiving information)”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Public Law 117-348, Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022, section 137 (amending 42 U.S.C. 671(a)(35)(B)) U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), January 5, 2023Sec. 137(a) and (b); 136 Stat. 6223 (PDF page 13)

“the State agency shall maintain regular communication with law enforcement agencies and NCMEC in efforts to provide a safe recovery of a missing or abducted child or youth”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 232 KB)

42 U.S.C. 671, United States Code 2024 edition (official print, hostable PDF) U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), 2024 main edition671(a)(35)(B) at p. 2364; scope cross-reference 671(a)(9)(C)(i)(I) at p. 2360

“any child or youth over whom the State agency has responsibility for placement, care, or supervision and who the State has reasonable cause to believe is, or is at risk of being, a sex trafficking victim”

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Public Law 113-183, section 104 (enacting text of 671(a)(35)(B)) U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), September 29, 2014Sec. 104(2); 128 Stat. 1922

“to the law enforcement authorities for entry into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ... and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 276 KB)

HHS Office of Inspector General, State Agencies Did Not Always Ensure That Children Missing From Foster Care Were Reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Accordance With Federal Requirements, A-07-21-06102 HHS Office of Inspector General, Office of Audit Services, March 2, 2023printed p. 3, footnote 8 (scope)

“the requirements of the Act §§ 471, 475, and 477 apply to all children in the care, placement, or supervision of a State agency.”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Same documentprinted p. 16, Appendix D, Table 1: Sample Strata (Total row: 74,353 episodes; 46 states; sample size 100)

“The sample unit was one missing child episode in which the child was missing for 2 days or longer.”

Same documentprinted p. 5, footnote 12

“the State agencies had no supporting documentation that showed that they had submitted reports for these episodes, and NCMEC staff could not locate the missing children episodes in the NCMEC database.”

Same documentprinted p. 15, Appendix C, Grand Total row (table is an image in the PDF; read from the rendered page)

“Grand Total: Never Reported to NCMEC 45; Not Reported Timely to NCMEC 22; Properly Reported to NCMEC 33; Total 100”

Same documentprinted p. 4, 'How We Conducted This Audit' (definition of late)

“we designated a reporting delay of 2 calendar days or longer to constitute a missing child episode that had not been reported in a timely manner.”

Same documentprinted p. 4, 'How We Conducted This Audit'; footnote 11 (four states excluded)

“We identified, from data provided by 46 State agencies, 74,353 missing children episodes in which the child was missing 2 calendar days or longer during our audit period.”

Same documentprinted p. 18, Appendix E, Table 3 (limits at the 90-percent confidence level); method, printed p. 17

“Never Reported: Point Estimate 34,869; Lower Limit 26,802; Upper Limit 42,936”

NCMEC 2025 Impact Report (PDF) National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (private nonprofit), PDF created September 23, 2026printed p. 12, 'Children Missing from Foster Care'

“Of the children missing from care who were reported to NCMEC in 2025, 17% were identified as likely victims of child sex trafficking.”

OriginalArchived copy

NCMEC, Child Sex Trafficking (By the Numbers) National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Undated; read September 27, 2026"By the Numbers"

“17% of the reports of children missing from child welfare to NCMEC in 2025 were likely victims of child sex trafficking.”

OriginalArchived copy

NCMEC blog, "Every Missing Child Has a Story: New 2025 Statistics Highlight Hope, Recovery and Protection" National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, May 21, 2026byline and first paragraphs

“Our newly released 2025 statistics reflect the full scope of that work”

OriginalArchived copy

FComply, Complied ID product page (staging site, not yet launched) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (www.fcomply.com), Read September 27, 2026Staging Complied ID page, line under the four steps

“"Step 1, proven identity, is available today. Step 2, comprehensive screening, is not live yet."”

Original

FComply, 'How it works' film on fcomply.com (file Introducing-Fcomply-1.mp4, 3:45, 640x360) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (fcomply.com), File last modified March 24, 2026About 2:26 to 3:01: the enrollment screens of Step 1 (create account, license photo, liveness selfie, credential)

“On-screen app screens: "Create a new account and set-up multifactor authentication", "VERIFY YOUR IDENTITY", "LIVENESS", "CERTIFIED"”

Original

FComply staging site, How a National Compliance System Would Roll Out Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (www.fcomply.com), UndatedSources note under the comparison timeline

“"The FComply phases are planning assumptions, not commitments."”

Original

FComply, Complied ID product page (live site) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (fcomply.com), Page last modified May 20, 2026Complied ID page, Step 1 list

“"AI-based mobile ID verification"”

OriginalArchived copy

FComply, Complied ID product page (staging site, not yet launched) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (www.fcomply.com), Read September 27, 2026Staging Complied ID page, heading of the four steps

“"How it works, on the person’s own phone"”

Original

NIST SP 800-63A-4, Digital Identity Guidelines: Identity Proofing and Enrollment National Institute of Standards and Technology, July 2025Sec. 3.11 (Requirements for the Use of Biometrics), item 2, PDF p. 42 (printed page 30; the document's own cross-references call this section Sec. 3.1.11)

“"When collecting and comparing biometric characteristics remotely, the CSP SHALL implement presentation attack detection (PAD) capabilities" ... "All biometric presentation attack detection tests SHALL be conformant to ISO/IEC 30107-3:2023."”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.1 MB)

DHS/USCIS final rule with request for comments, Alien Registration Form and Evidence of Registration, 91 FR 39248 (FR Doc. 2026-13057), regulatory impact analysis U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Register (govinfo.gov), June 29, 202691 FR 39329 (regulatory impact analysis, costs to submit biometrics; Table 4)

“"The estimated time burden to submit biometrics is 1.17 hours." ... "The estimated average travel distance to and from an ASC is 50 miles; the expected total travel time is 2.5 hours."”

OriginalOur copy (PDF, 686 KB)

Fair Start for Kids Act Temporary Licensing Subcommittee of the Early Learning Advisory Council, Emergency Recommendation: Background Checks Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (hosting), May 27, 2022Page 4, Appendix, provider reports

"The closest location to get fingerprinted is a three-hour round-trip drive." Also: "we had to make three separate trips because the person did not take the fingerprints correctly." and "Those appointments are only scheduled one to two weeks out."

OriginalArchived copy

Next Generation Identification (NGI) System Fact Sheet, August 2026 FBI, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Biometric Services Section, August 2026 editionPage 3, 'NGI System Reject Rates (Tenprint Submissions)'

“Civil Percentage: "1.57" (August 2026), "1.93" (FY2026)”

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FComply home page (live site) Federal Compliance Systems, Inc. (fcomply.com), Read September 27, 2026Home page, 'Our Product', Document tile

“"We verifiy [sic] IDs by checking for authenticity and matching them to the user’s face, ensuring documents aren’t fake or altered."”

OriginalArchived copy

NIST SP 800-63A-4, Digital Identity Guidelines: Identity Proofing and Enrollment National Institute of Standards and Technology, July 2025Sec. 2.4.2.3 (Attribute Validation), PDF p. 25; Sec. 3.11 item 2, PDF p. 42 (Sec. 3.11 item 2 is on printed page 30)

“"The CSP SHALL validate all core attributes (Sec. 2.2), whether obtained from identity evidence or self-asserted by the applicant, with an authoritative or credible source (Sec. 2.4.2.4)."”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.1 MB)

GAO-12-893, Driver's License Security: Federal Leadership Needed to Address Remaining Vulnerabilities U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 2012Highlights page ('What GAO Found'), PDF p. 2; printed page 22 (PDF p. 26), 'GAO Investigative Work Highlights Vulnerabilities'

“"GAO investigators were able to use counterfeit out-of-state drivers’ licenses and birth certificates to fraudulently obtain licenses in three states."; p. 22: "In each state, investigative staff obtained genuine licenses under fictitious identities"”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 1.9 MB)

42 U.S.C. 671(a)(20), State plan for foster care and adoption assistance (criminal records and registry checks; amended by the Adam Walsh Act, Pub. L. 109-248, title I, sec. 152, 120 Stat. 608) Office of the Law Revision Counsel (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(A) and (B)(i) (foster and adoptive parents); also (a)(20)(C) (relative guardians) and (a)(20)(D) (adults working in child-care institutions, with a state-report exception)

“provides procedures for criminal records checks, including fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases (as defined in section 534(f)(3)(A) of title 28), for any prospective foster or adoptive parent”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (PDF, 218 KB)

34 U.S.C. 40316, National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Pub. L. 105-251, title II, sec. 217, Oct. 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 1876), Art. I(20) and Art. V(a) Office of the Law Revision Counsel (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202634 U.S.C. 40316, Art. V(a) and Art. I(20)

“"Subject fingerprints or other approved forms of positive identification shall be submitted with all requests for criminal history record checks for noncriminal justice purposes."”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 185 KB)

28 CFR 20.33, Dissemination of criminal history record information Office of the Federal Register, eCFR (versioner API, issue of September 21, 2026), Current as of September 24, 202628 CFR 20.33(a)(3)

“"For use in connection with licensing or employment, pursuant to Public Law 92-544, 86 Stat. 1115, or other federal legislation, and for other uses for which dissemination is authorized by federal law."”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (XML, 4 KB)

42 U.S.C. 671, State plan for foster care and adoption assistance (Social Security Act section 471) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 671(a)(20)(B)(i)

“check any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the State for information on any prospective foster or adoptive parent and on any other adult living in the home”

OriginalArchived copyOur copy (HTML, 330 KB)

42 U.S.C. 1396r, Requirements for nursing facilities (Social Security Act section 1919) Office of the Law Revision Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives (uscode.house.gov), Text of laws in effect on September 26, 202642 U.S.C. 1396r(e)(2)(B)

“The State shall make available to the public information in the registry.”

OriginalArchived copy (same document, equivalent address)Our copy (HTML, 404 KB)