Texas Schools Sending DNA Kits Home To Parents

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Schools across Texas are sending DNA kits home with students to give to their parents. Some school districts have reportedly started sending these kits home for parents to either use, or not use.

The program is nothing new, as law enforcement for years have advocated that parents keep fingerprints, updated pictures, and even DNA of their children in case something were to happen.

Some in the media and on social media connected the distribution of the DNA kits, which normally cost parents $10, to the school shooting in Uvalde. However, the Texas Legislature in 2021 passed a law requiring these DNA kits be distributed as the Dallas Morning News points out.

The kits, which retails for about $10, is being provided to Texas families for free. It was created in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the information collected is identified to be kept at home by the parent or guardian in case it is ever needed, according to the National Child ID Program website.

The state legislature passed a law in the spring of 2021 requiring the Texas Education Agency to give inkless in-home fingerprint and DNA identification cards to each public school system in Texas.

And for those worried that the government is keeping the DNA of the students, parents get to hold onto the kits in case they are ever needed. Or parents can simply ignore the kits and not participate.

Some school districts have already started sending home the inkless fingerprint and DNA kits, including schools in Dallas.