[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 28, Volume 1]
[Revised as of July 1, 2008]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 28CFR20.3]

[Page 412-414]
 
                    TITLE 28--JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION
 
                    CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
 
PART 20_CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS--Table of Contents
 
                      Subpart A_General Provisions
 
Sec. 20.3  Definitions.

    As used in these regulations:
    (a) Act means the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act, 42 
U.S.C. 3701, et seq., as amended.
    (b) Administration of criminal justice means performance of any of 
the following activities: Detection, apprehension, detention, pretrial 
release, post-trial release, prosecution, adjudication, correctional 
supervision, or rehabilitation of accused persons or criminal offenders. 
The administration of criminal justice shall include criminal 
identification activities and the collection, storage, and dissemination 
of criminal history record information.
    (c) Control Terminal Agency means a duly authorized state, foreign, 
or international criminal justice agency with

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direct access to the National Crime Information Center 
telecommunications network providing statewide (or equivalent) service 
to its criminal justice users with respect to the various systems 
managed by the FBI CJIS Division.
    (d) Criminal history record information means information collected 
by criminal justice agencies on individuals consisting of identifiable 
descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, 
informations, or other formal criminal charges, and any disposition 
arising therefrom, including acquittal, sentencing, correctional 
supervision, and release. The term does not include identification 
information such as fingerprint records if such information does not 
indicate the individual's involvement with the criminal justice system.
    (e) Criminal history record information system means a system 
including the equipment, facilities, procedures, agreements, and 
organizations thereof, for the collection, processing, preservation, or 
dissemination of criminal history record information.
    (f) Criminal history record repository means the state agency 
designated by the governor or other appropriate executive official or 
the legislature to perform centralized recordkeeping functions for 
criminal history records and services in the state.
    (g) Criminal justice agency means:
    (1) Courts; and
    (2) A governmental agency or any subunit thereof that performs the 
administration of criminal justice pursuant to a statute or executive 
order, and that allocates a substantial part of its annual budget to the 
administration of criminal justice. State and federal Inspector General 
Offices are included.
    (h) Direct access means having the authority to access systems 
managed by the FBI CJIS Division, whether by manual or automated 
methods, not requiring the assistance of or intervention by any other 
party or agency.
    (i) Disposition means information disclosing that criminal 
proceedings have been concluded and the nature of the termination, 
including information disclosing that the police have elected not to 
refer a matter to a prosecutor or that a prosecutor has elected not to 
commence criminal proceedings; or disclosing that proceedings have been 
indefinitely postponed and the reason for such postponement. 
Dispositions shall include, but shall not be limited to, acquittal, 
acquittal by reason of insanity, acquittal by reason of mental 
incompetence, case continued without finding, charge dismissed, charge 
dismissed due to insanity, charge dismissed due to mental incompetency, 
charge still pending due to insanity, charge still pending due to mental 
incompetence, guilty plea, nolle prosequi, no paper, nolo contendere 
plea, convicted, youthful offender determination, deceased, deferred 
disposition, dismissed-civil action, found insane, found mentally 
incompetent, pardoned, probation before conviction, sentence commuted, 
adjudication withheld, mistrial-defendant discharged, executive 
clemency, placed on probation, paroled, or released from correctional 
supervision.
    (j) Executive order means an order of the President of the United 
States or the Chief Executive of a state that has the force of law and 
that is published in a manner permitting regular public access.
    (k) Federal Service Coordinator means a non-Control Terminal Agency 
that has a direct telecommunications line to the National Crime 
Information Center network.
    (l) Fingerprint Identification Records System or ``FIRS'' means the 
following FBI records: Criminal fingerprints and/or related criminal 
justice information submitted by authorized agencies having criminal 
justice responsibilities; civil fingerprints submitted by federal 
agencies and civil fingerprints submitted by persons desiring to have 
their fingerprints placed on record for personal identification 
purposes; identification records, sometimes referred to as ``rap 
sheets,'' which are compilations of criminal history record information 
pertaining to individuals who have criminal fingerprints maintained in 
the FIRS; and a name index pertaining to all individuals whose 
fingerprints are maintained in the FIRS. See the FIRS Privacy Act System 
Notice periodically published in the Federal Register for further 
details.

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    (m) Interstate Identification Index System or ``III System'' means 
the cooperative federal-state system for the exchange of criminal 
history records, and includes the National Identification Index, the 
National Fingerprint File, and, to the extent of their participation in 
such system, the criminal history record repositories of the states and 
the FBI.
    (n) National Crime Information Center or ``NCIC'' means the 
computerized information system, which includes telecommunications lines 
and any message switching facilities that are authorized by law, 
regulation, or policy approved by the Attorney General of the United 
States to link local, state, tribal, federal, foreign, and international 
criminal justice agencies for the purpose of exchanging NCIC related 
information. The NCIC includes, but is not limited to, information in 
the III System. See the NCIC Privacy Act System Notice periodically 
published in the Federal Register for further details.
    (o) National Fingerprint File or ``NFF'' means a database of 
fingerprints, or other uniquely personal identifying information, 
relating to an arrested or charged individual maintained by the FBI to 
provide positive identification of record subjects indexed in the III 
System.
    (p) National Identification Index or ``NII'' means an index 
maintained by the FBI consisting of names, identifying numbers, and 
other descriptive information relating to record subjects about whom 
there are criminal history records in the III System.
    (q) Nonconviction data means arrest information without disposition 
if an interval of one year has elapsed from the date of arrest and no 
active prosecution of the charge is pending; information disclosing that 
the police have elected not to refer a matter to a prosecutor, that a 
prosecutor has elected not to commence criminal proceedings, or that 
proceedings have been indefinitely postponed; and information that there 
has been an acquittal or a dismissal.
    (r) State means any state of the United States, the District of 
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or 
possession of the United States.
    (s) Statute means an Act of Congress or of a state legislature or a 
provision of the Constitution of the United States or of a state.

[Order No. 2258-99, 64 FR 52226, Sept. 28, 1999]