BJA FY 13 Improving the Completeness of Firearm Background Checks through Enhanced State Data Sharing

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Through the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and with the support of Congress, OJP funds the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and the NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP).Both of these programs provide essential support and guidance to improve reporting of criminal history and related records used for background checks conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, for individuals seeking to purchase certain firearms. Recent acts of violence have focused national attention on the urgent need to close several persistent information gaps remaining in the background check process. Closing these information gaps will promote more effective enforcement of our nation’s existing gun laws. BJA, in close coordination with BJS and the FBI, is releasing this competitive grant opportunity to improve and expand the data accessible to NICS at the time of a firearm background check to ensure lawful purchases. Funding priority will be directed to agencies whose proposals would achieve the most significant gains in (1) reporting completeness; (2) accuracy of information; and (3) inclusion of disqualifying data sets which are currently under-reported in the system. Specifically, successful applications will include improved sharing of mental health information, domestic violence protection orders, warrants, and felony court dispositions. In addition, the program will enable expanded use of techniques for positive identification, including biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, to promote more effective identity matching and record linking. This one-time grant program will complement the ongoing NCHIP and NARIP programs by providing expanded resources and onsite support to address these priority issues, while sustaining existing operations and enhancement activities. This program is funded under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The JAG Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a) et seq.) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state, local, and tribal jurisdictions, and JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system. The JAG Program has been used historically to address a wide range of criminal justice challenges, including gun violence, and has resulted in the development of numerous products and case studies consistent with the goals of this solicitation, and from which recipients of funding will benefit. Some of those resources have been identified and are listed on page 6. The JAG Program authorization also provides that up to 5 percent of the funds available to carry out subpart 1 of Title I, Part E of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (“Omnibus”) may be granted, among other reasons, for one or more of the purposes specified in Section 501 of Title I, Part E, Subpart 1 of Omnibus upon a determination that it is necessary“ to combat, address, or otherwise respond to precipitous or extraordinary increases in crime, or in a type or types of crime” (42 U.S.C. 3756(b)(1)).

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