515 CMR 2.07
Use and Dissemination Agreements
Authorized Agencies. Access to the DNA Database, shall be granted to an agency
authorized to have such access, pursuant only to a written use and dissemination agreement. As
long as consistent with 42 U.S.C. § 14132, stored DNA samples and DNA analyses can be
disclosed only:
(a) to criminal justice agencies for law enforcement identification purposes, which shall
include (at the discretion of the Director) to assist the identification of human remains from
mass disasters or to identify whether such remains are from those of a missing person, upon
written or electronic request to the Director;
(b) in judicial proceedings, if otherwise admissible by applicable statutes or rules;
(c) for criminal defense purposes, to a defendant, who shall have access to samples and
analyses performed in connection with the case in which such defendant is charged; and
(d) if personally identifiable information is removed, for a population statistics database,
for identification research and protocol development purposes, or for quality control
purposes:
2.07: continued
Requirements in the Use and Dissemination Agreement. The use and dissemination
agreement shall specify:
(a) Duties of the Director to provide the requested access and information to authorized
parties;
(b)
Duties of the user agency to receive, store and use all information covered by the
agreement in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations;
(c) Duties of the user agency to familiarize all personnel and adhere to all regulations
governing the receipt, storage and use of all information covered in the agreement;
(d) Duties of the user agency to maintain records that support and justify inquiries and
requests for DNA Database searches, and to make these records available to the Department
upon request;
(e) Prohibitions on redisclosure by the user agency of any information obtained from the
DNA Database to any unauthorized agency or person;
(f) Policy for suspension of access, cancellation of access, and/or fines for any violations
of the terms and conditions of the use and dissemination agreement by a user agency, its
employees or agents, and a policy for reinstating access by the Department only after the
Department is satisfied that the causes of all violations have been eliminated;
(g) Specific instructions allowing termination by either party of the agreement for any
reason with 30 days notice; and
(h) Notice that the agreement shall take effect only after officials of the Crime Laboratory
and user agency having both the administrative and legal authority to bind the parties to the
terms and conditions of the agreement have signed the use and dissemination agreement.
(3) Record Keeping. A copy of each current use and dissemination agreement shall be filed
with the Crime Laboratory and maintained in a file for each participant agency at all times. The
form of the agreements shall be determined by the Department.