110 HR 2640 : NICS Improvement Amendments Act of
U.S. House of Representatives
2007-06-14
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited as the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of
2007
.
(b)The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
Sec. 3. Definitions.
Title I—Transmittal of records
Sec. 101. Enhancement of requirement that Federal departments
and agencies provide relevant information to the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System.
Sec. 102. Requirements to obtain waiver.
Sec. 103. Implementation assistance to States.
Sec. 104. Penalties for noncompliance.
Sec. 105. Relief from disabilities program required as
condition for participation in grant programs.
Title II—Focusing Federal assistance on the improvement of
relevant records
Sec. 201. Continuing evaluations.
Title III—Grants to State court systems for the improvement in
automation and transmittal of disposition records
Sec. 301. Disposition records automation and transmittal
improvement grants.
Title IV—GAO audit
Sec. 401. GAO audit.
2.Congress finds the following:
(1)Approximately
916,000 individuals were prohibited from purchasing a firearm for failing a
background check between November 30, 1998, (the date the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System (NICS) began operating) and December 31,
2004.
(2)From November 30,
1998, through December 31, 2004, nearly 49,000,000 Brady background checks were
processed through NICS.
(3)Although most
Brady background checks are processed through NICS in seconds, many background
checks are delayed if the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) does not have
automated access to complete information from the States concerning persons
prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under Federal or State
law.
(4)Nearly 21,000,000
criminal records are not accessible by NICS and millions of criminal records
are missing critical data, such as arrest dispositions, due to data
backlogs.
(5)The primary cause
of delay in NICS background checks is the lack of—
(A)updates and
available State criminal disposition records; and
(B)automated access
to information concerning persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a
firearm because of mental illness, restraining orders, or misdemeanor
convictions for domestic violence.
(6)Automated access
to this information can be improved by—
(A)computerizing
information relating to criminal history, criminal dispositions, mental
illness, restraining orders, and misdemeanor convictions for domestic violence;
or
(B)making such
information available to NICS in a usable format.
(7)Helping States to
automate these records will reduce delays for law-abiding gun
purchasers.
(8)On March 12, 2002, the senseless shooting,
which took the lives of a priest and a parishioner at the Our Lady of Peace
Church in Lynbrook, New York, brought attention to the need to improve
information-sharing that would enable Federal and State law enforcement
agencies to conduct a complete background check on a potential firearm
purchaser. The man who committed this double murder had a prior disqualifying
mental health commitment and a restraining order against him, but passed a
Brady background check because NICS did not have the necessary information to
determine that he was ineligible to purchase a firearm under Federal or State
law.
3.As used in this Act, the following
definitions shall apply:
(1)The term court order includes a court order
(as described in section 922(g)(8) of title 18,
United States Code).
(2)The terms adjudicated as a mental defective,
committed to a mental institution, and related terms have the
meanings given those terms in regulations implementing
section
922(g)(4) of title 18, United States Code, as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(3)Misdemeanor
crime of domestic violenceThe term misdemeanor crime of
domestic violence has the meaning given the term in
section
921(a)(33) of title 18, United States Code.
<enum>I</enum><header>Transmittal of
records</header>
<section id="HBADF613004DB4BF30083865708C75C4C"><enum>101.</enum><header>Enhancement of
requirement that Federal departments and agencies provide relevant information
to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System</header>
<subsection id="HB294FAD3198F4E2484A53CD85F495D02"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Section 103(e)(1) of the Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act (18
U.S.C. 922 note) is amended—</text>
<paragraph id="H7B2A249CD0064846A6F7B18B0077E3B9"><enum>(1)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>Notwithstanding</quote> and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H744EC2C738224B26A9A7D59403B24BEB">
<subparagraph id="H351DC352882B4374A723A25D306EBCD5"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Notwithstanding</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HCA00809E18624ADA8FCC9900C0C6C16F"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by striking
<quote>On request</quote> and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H66D2B8F07B0F437D8E22BA18E4445FA">
<subparagraph id="HFB1B2AE207254558A47F7BD93003902"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Request of
Attorney General</header><text>On
request</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H1E9B239497C943B3AE6FDEF6589987D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by
striking <quote>furnish such information</quote> and inserting <quote>furnish
electronic versions of the information described under subparagraph
(A)</quote>; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H17A7DC5399E149C081A08DF297F8E576"><enum>(4)</enum><text>by adding at the
end the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="H5B49D114EC9847D591D58DE622C28304">
<subparagraph id="HF9DA628B222849B6BCCE633B0022E2F9"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Quarterly
submission to Attorney General</header><text>If a department or agency under
subparagraph (A) has any record of any person demonstrating that the person
falls within one of the categories described in subsection (g) or (n) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, the head of such
department or agency shall, not less frequently than quarterly, provide the
pertinent information contained in such record to the Attorney General.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H95983F5504E44133A645F71CEEC61D4C"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Information
updates</header><text>The agency, on being made aware that the basis under
which a record was made available under subparagraph (A) does not apply, or no
longer applies, shall—</text>
<clause id="H579196503AFA48E593CE6E24D0A8003C"><enum>(i)</enum><text>update, correct,
modify, or remove the record from any database that the agency maintains and
makes available to the Attorney General, in accordance with the rules
pertaining to that database; or</text>
</clause><clause id="HF9F08252CA9E4EBFBBD3908678BDE8E3"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>notify the
Attorney General that such basis no longer applies so that the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System is kept up to date.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H6A0B832EEEB942A5AB00608B6B624292"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Annual
report</header><text>The Attorney General shall submit an annual report to
Congress that describes the compliance of each department or agency with the
provisions of this
paragraph.</text>
</subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H45BD7E3CEDEC44329378F97F259907AB"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Provision and
maintenance of NICS records</header>
<paragraph id="H6E39F238F8E24E5FAEF9FE6D677430C5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Department of
Homeland Security</header><text>The Secretary of Homeland Security shall make
available to the Attorney General—</text>
<subparagraph id="H2560EA9D6B6E44A288B6BD1D8C60EB72"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">records, updated not less than quarterly,
which are relevant to a determination of whether a person is disqualified from
possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, for use in background
checks performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System;
and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA1F79CD9199A414EB4011D1287784E00"><enum>(B)</enum><text>information
regarding all the persons described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph who
have changed their status to a category not identified under
section
922(g)(5) of title 18, United States Code, for removal, when
applicable, from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H2D69BCB08EB74507833C003E85D7254F"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Department of
Justice</header><text>The Attorney General shall—</text>
<subparagraph id="H798B0D926621482BBCDCC373CB007387"><enum>(A)</enum><text>ensure that any
information submitted to, or maintained by, the Attorney General under this
section is kept accurate and confidential, as required by the laws,
regulations, policies, or procedures governing the applicable record
system;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H0E0D9DFDF3294D5FB2106E4733AF929"><enum>(B)</enum><text>provide for the
timely removal and destruction of obsolete and erroneous names and information
from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H58C432E466F140A29B56270578BD42E"><enum>(C)</enum><text>work with States to
encourage the development of computer systems, which would permit electronic
notification to the Attorney General when—</text>
<clause id="H8553CEDAD0CB4FEB8D81D77F4C5615E"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a
court order has been issued, lifted, or otherwise removed by order of the
court; or</text>
</clause><clause id="H11903A1C90BB4C65944C2324A91245E5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>a
person has been adjudicated as mentally defective or committed to a mental
institution.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HFF2FBE5B11B74CF0A8E2E026B0920159"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Standard for
adjudications, commitments, and determinations related to mental
health</header>
<paragraph id="HA9951A316CFA4A8A9466C85F209C372F"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>No department or agency of the Federal Government may
provide to the Attorney General any record of an adjudication or determination
related to the mental health of a person, or any commitment of a person to a
mental institution if—</text>
<subparagraph id="HC91C04267D34497F93083B6526322BA7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the adjudication,
determination, or commitment, respectively, has been set aside or expunged, or
the person has otherwise been fully released or discharged from all mandatory
treatment, supervision, or monitoring;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA671E02ED00A4D9B9CD9F4EE53EB7B5"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the person has been
found by a court, board, commission, or other lawful authority to no longer
suffer from the mental health condition that was the basis of the adjudication,
determination, or commitment, respectively, or has otherwise been found to be
rehabilitated through any procedure available under law; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HC0081F1F8B9745288B7C6F59B43B94FF"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the adjudication,
determination, or commitment, respectively, is based solely on a medical
finding of disability, without a finding that the person is a danger to himself
or to others or that the person lacks the mental capacity to manage his own
affairs.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H71EFC547C8DF4FB3B31000CF6BE6BFB9"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Treatment of
certain adjudications, determinations, and commitments</header>
<subparagraph id="H90F1A1EB73364B92B9034198495045A5"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Program for
relief from disabilities</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each
department or agency of the United States that makes any adjudication or
determination related to the mental health of a person or imposes any
commitment to a mental institution, as described in subsection (d)(4) and
(g)(4) of section
922 of title 18, United States Code, shall establish a program
that permits such a person to apply for relief from the disabilities imposed by
such subsections. Relief and judicial review shall be available according to
the standards prescribed in
section
925(c) of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H4781726977074D11A4A908F40094D8CE"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Relief from
disabilities</header><text>In the case of an adjudication or determination
related to the mental health of a person or a commitment of a person to a
mental institution, a record of which may not be provided to the Attorney
General under paragraph (1), including because of the absence of a finding
described in subparagraph (C) of such paragraph, or from which a person has
been granted relief under a program established under subparagraph (A), the
adjudication, determination, or commitment, respectively, shall be deemed not
to have occurred for purposes of subsections (d)(4) and (g)(4) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3307C6CAD6A14172AD4C832801A6F429"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Information
excluded from NICS records</header>
<paragraph id="HEAA0F0030EE04F3E0000155F963CC376"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No department or
agency of the Federal Government may make available to the Attorney General,
for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (nor may the
Attorney General make available to such system), the name or any other relevant
identifying information of any person adjudicated or determined to be mentally
defective or any person committed to a mental institution for purposes of
assisting the Attorney General in enforcing subsections (d)(4) and (g)(4) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, unless such adjudication,
determination, or commitment, respectively, included a finding that the person
is a danger to himself or to others or that the person lacks the mental
capacity to manage his own affairs.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8372CD44EB5841919BC2BF6CE013C4C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Effective
date</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Paragraph (1) shall
apply to names and other information provided before, on, or after the date of
the enactment of this Act. Any name or information provided in violation of
paragraph (1) before such date shall be removed from the National Instant
Criminal Background Check System.</text>
</paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H0A5670C6C4404B88B7BF8700A2000034"><enum>102.</enum><header>Requirements to
obtain waiver</header>
<subsection id="H729F963F18CD40E5BDFB16053566304"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Beginning 3 years after the date of the enactment of this
Act, a State shall be eligible to receive a waiver of the 10 percent matching
requirement for National Criminal History Improvement Grants under the Crime
Identification Technology Act of 1988 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/14601">42 U.S.C. 14601</external-xref>) if the State
provides at least 90 percent of the information described in subsection (c).
The length of such a waiver shall not exceed 2 years.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H849E5A99C04E4F2C87796027009524E0"><enum>(b)</enum><header>State
estimates</header>
<paragraph id="HB1CAEB5FD34F4871B17F3427F338D686"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Initial State
estimate</header>
<subparagraph id="HB3E9617700B14BB99F82EDC042001CF"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>To assist the Attorney General in making a determination
under subsection (a) of this section, and under section 104, concerning the
compliance of the States in providing information to the Attorney General for
the purpose of receiving a waiver under subsection (a) of this section, or
facing a loss of funds under section 104, by a date not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, each State shall provide the
Attorney General with a reasonable estimate, as calculated by a method
determined by the Attorney General, of the number of the records described in
subparagraph (C) applicable to such State that concern persons who are
prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under subsection (g) or (n)
of section
922 of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF06D56E733DE44A6BD6074FCE526D12D"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Failure to
provide initial estimate</header><text>A State that fails to provide an
estimate described in subparagraph (A) by the date required under such
subparagraph shall be ineligible to receive any funds under section 103, until
such date as it provides such estimate to the Attorney General.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7E6C85CB0DC54028B20152AA96B095A1"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Record
defined</header><text>For purposes of subparagraph (A), a record is the
following:</text>
<clause id="H4E960D59657A429997ED00550085BDB0"><enum>(i)</enum><text>A
record that identifies a person arrested for a crime that is punishable by
imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and for which a record of final
disposition is available electronically or otherwise.</text>
</clause><clause id="H3E91855224BD4BE5A79238D7374DDA5F"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>A
record that identifies a person for whose arrest a warrant or process has been
issued that is valid under the laws of the State involved, as of the date of
the estimate.</text>
</clause><clause id="H500BFC95405847A5936D501219E2A905"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A record that identifies a person who is an
unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance (as such terms
<quote>unlawful user</quote> and <quote>addicted</quote> are respectively
defined in regulations implementing
section
922(g)(3) of title 18, United States Code, as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act) and whose record is not protected from
disclosure to the Attorney General under any provision of State or Federal
law.</text>
</clause><clause id="HC297DCA8DDE240AE84345B609DCDC228"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>A
record that identifies a person who has been adjudicated mentally defective or
committed to a mental institution (as determined in regulations implementing
section
922(g)(4) of title 18, United States Code, as in effect on the
date of the enactment of this Act) and whose record is not protected from
disclosure to the Attorney General under any provision of State or Federal
law.</text>
</clause><clause id="HC1F7927F1BA44A4600972B38EE5E6E03"><enum>(v)</enum><text>A
record that is electronically available and that identifies a person who, as of
the date of such estimate, is subject to a court order described in
section
922(g)(8) of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</clause><clause id="H818E1A7F947F44EAA1E8C071654BEF03"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>A
record that is electronically available and that identifies a person convicted
in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, as defined in
section
921(a)(33) of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H700E5ADF0EF8480F91DBD397A3FBEC5E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Scope</header><text>The
Attorney General, in determining the compliance of a State under this section
or section 104 of this Act for the purpose of granting a waiver or imposing a
loss of Federal funds, shall assess the total percentage of records provided by
the State concerning any event occurring within the prior 30 years, which would
disqualify a person from possessing a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H6B5EA62E7D5F4E6F91C2CE18B2E00B7"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Clarification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding paragraph (2), States shall
endeavor to provide the National Instant Criminal Background Check System with
all records concerning persons who are prohibited from possessing or receiving
a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, regardless of the elapsed
time since the disqualifying event.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H194CD267C9C54E3A93C18B431BFBCF86"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Eligibility of
State records for submission to the National Instant Criminal Background Check
System</header>
<paragraph id="HD5D19F3292444AD5834356FC90B35C62"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Requirements for
eligibility</header>
<subparagraph id="HE19C895023444561BC2EC9BE22002C86"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>From information collected by a State, the State shall
make electronically available to the Attorney General records relevant to a
determination of whether a person is disqualified from possessing or receiving
a firearm under subsection (g) or (n) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, or applicable State
law.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3A5CF36F7E334E4DA17327333802B2D4"><enum>(B)</enum><header>NICS
updates</header><text>The State, on being made aware that the basis under which
a record was made available under subparagraph (A) does not apply, or no longer
applies, shall, as soon as practicable—</text>
<clause id="HC6F912ED914943B7B949BF001EB26517"><enum>(i)</enum><text>update, correct,
modify, or remove the record from any database that the Federal or State
government maintains and makes available to the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System, consistent with the rules pertaining to that database;
or</text>
</clause><clause id="H935215B0F28B4CFA892CE1C0E6AFF737"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>notify the
Attorney General that such basis no longer applies so that the record system in
which the record is maintained is kept up to date.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HEB4B7A03E9A342A19191E9B41028C8E3"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Certification</header><text>To
remain eligible for a waiver under subsection (a), a State shall certify to the
Attorney General, not less than once during each 2-year period, that at least
90 percent of all information described in subparagraph (A) has been made
electronically available to the Attorney General in accordance with
subparagraph (A).</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H654AFBB6BC264E04B1CE22BE111493D"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Inclusion of all
records</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this
paragraph, a State shall identify and include all of the records described
under subparagraph (A) without regard to the age of the record.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HB39ED43BCF394BBB9D81B9DC854947B4"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Application to
persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence</header><text>The
State shall make available to the Attorney General, for use by the National
Instant Criminal Background Check System, records relevant to a determination
of whether a person has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of
domestic violence. With respect to records relating to such crimes, the State
shall provide information specifically describing the offense and the specific
section or subsection of the offense for which the defendant has been convicted
and the relationship of the defendant to the victim in each case.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H0496A2A9D9B645ECB58486A6000097BA"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Application to
persons who have been adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a
mental institution</header><text>The State shall make available to the Attorney
General, for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the
name and other relevant identifying information of persons adjudicated as
mentally defective or those committed to mental institutions to assist the
Attorney General in enforcing
section
922(g)(4) of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HE390F6792C8F4EED8461A35E3ED5E9D5"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Privacy
protections</header><text>For any information provided to the Attorney General
for use by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, relating to
persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm under
section
922(g)(4) of title 18, United States Code, the Attorney General
shall work with States and local law enforcement and the mental health
community to establish regulations and protocols for protecting the privacy of
information provided to the system. The Attorney General shall make every
effort to meet with any mental health group seeking to express its views
concerning these regulations and protocols and shall seek to develop
regulations as expeditiously as practicable.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HA2F3BCF5CEBD4AEF938E19FC00DDCA9B"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Attorney General
report</header><text>Not later than January 31 of each year, the Attorney
General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the
progress of States in automating the databases containing the information
described in subsection (b) and in making that information electronically
available to the Attorney General pursuant to the requirements of subsection
(c).</text>
</subsection></section><section id="HA1A9669A2B44407696F3F7B8094B17C8"><enum>103.</enum><header>Implementation
assistance to States</header>
<subsection id="H426A6B7878384E2781150403E243EBF4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Authorization</header>
<paragraph id="H99E7F07E0CEF4D1696D31B12677E4284"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>From amounts made available to carry out this section and
subject to section 102(b)(1)(B), the Attorney General shall make grants to
States and Indian tribal governments, in a manner consistent with the National
Criminal History Improvement Program, which shall be used by the States and
Indian tribal governments, in conjunction with units of local government and
State and local courts, to establish or upgrade information and identification
technologies for firearms eligibility determinations.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H8C6BEF48ED7E4050A454EC9C64315822"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Grants to Indian
tribes</header><text>Up to 5 percent of the grant funding available under this
section may be reserved for Indian tribal governments, including tribal
judicial systems.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H059818E81CE44C738D496456F400F168"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Use of grant
amounts</header><text>Grants awarded to States or Indian tribes under this
section may only be used to—</text>
<paragraph id="HA733602AD20C4839AC12BA93DE5DA56"><enum>(1)</enum><text>create electronic
systems, which provide accurate and up-to-date information which is directly
related to checks under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System
(referred to in this section as <quote>NICS</quote>), including court
disposition and corrections records;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H114687BF8F9C46A78800DCDF00CB7283"><enum>(2)</enum><text>assist States in
establishing or enhancing their own capacities to perform NICS background
checks;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H3912A7B9450B43BC8663CEBD7271BF33"><enum>(3)</enum><text>supply accurate
and timely information to the Attorney General concerning final dispositions of
criminal records to databases accessed by NICS;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H501F78E17A184481A29CB7EC3AC3549"><enum>(4)</enum><text>supply accurate and
timely information to the Attorney General concerning the identity of persons
who are prohibited from obtaining a firearm under
section
922(g)(4) of title 18, United States Code, to be used by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation solely to conduct NICS background
checks;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HE4CD56D85C684846AB14BE8E62F86650"><enum>(5)</enum><text>supply accurate
and timely court orders and records of misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence
for inclusion in Federal and State law enforcement databases used to conduct
NICS background checks; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H1D3E5F8880F84A79B892F0BD7EE4903F"><enum>(6)</enum><text>collect and
analyze data needed to demonstrate levels of State compliance with this
Act.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HBA2E2E5D0F574429AF6DD0CD9E5762D3"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Eligibility</header><text>To
be eligible for a grant under this section, a State shall certify, to the
satisfaction of the Attorney General, that the State has implemented a relief
from disabilities program in accordance with section 105.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HAE0A3DF83B324B519F3268A7B9964321"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Condition</header><text>As
a condition of receiving a grant under this section, a State shall specify the
projects for which grant amounts will be used, and shall use such amounts only
as specified. A State that violates this subsection shall be liable to the
Attorney General for the full amount of the grant received under this
section.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H2F34D51ED41B4E429E04DEC05B06A37B"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Authorization of
appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated to carry
out this section $250,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2008 through
2010.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H14ADE5B447524ED9B0634067B8736CCB"><enum>(f)</enum><header>User
fee</header><text>The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall not charge a user
fee for background checks pursuant to
section
922(t) of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H9E606AE8E9794B399194135DCBBB7BB"><enum>104.</enum><header>Penalties for
noncompliance</header>
<subsection id="H84D786A056764AB88C67C6AAE00B129"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Attorney General
report</header>
<paragraph id="HACA72C9E2770485BB31600461EEB6233"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>Not later than January 31 of each year, the Attorney
General shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report on the
progress of the States in automating the databases containing information
described under sections 102 and 103, and in providing that information
pursuant to the requirements of sections 102 and 103.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H7523FC7897044E89A0381439B44D4779"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorization of
appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Department of Justice, such funds as may be necessary to carry out paragraph
(1).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H08B924FBDA174176965EB2B8B6083C26"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Penalties</header>
<paragraph id="H9A8A816BBC324B9CA3248F42B47CFAAB"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Discretionary
reduction</header><text>During the 2-year period beginning 3 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General may withhold not more than
3 percent of the amount that would otherwise be allocated to a State under
section 506 of the <act-name parsable-cite="OCCSS">Omnibus Crime Control and
Safe Streets Act of 1968</act-name> (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/3756">42 U.S.C. 3756</external-xref>) if the State
provides less than 60 percent of the information required to be provided under
sections 102 and 103.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H81120A5EC6084D6F986CA6AF06C4DB51"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Mandatory
reduction</header><text>After the expiration of the period referred to in
paragraph (1), the Attorney General shall withhold 5 percent of the amount that
would otherwise be allocated to a State under section 506 of the
<act-name parsable-cite="OCCSS">Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of
1968</act-name> (42
U.S.C. 3756), if the State provides less than 90 percent of the
information required to be provided under sections 102 and 103.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H9F35DFB4279F49EFA12DCF1F383D2133"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Waiver by
Attorney General</header><text>The Attorney General may waive the applicability
of paragraph (2) to a State if the State provides substantial evidence, as
determined by the Attorney General, that the State is making a reasonable
effort to comply with the requirements of sections 102 and 103.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H3C8C36BF4A344E35A2DA154B94EBB3BA"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Reallocation</header><text>Any
funds that are not allocated to a State because of the failure of the State to
comply with the requirements of this title shall be reallocated to States that
meet such requirements.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H70CFA76E32A54B91BD5C6718E4A4CAC7"><enum>105.</enum><header>Relief from
disabilities program required as condition for participation in grant
programs</header>
<subsection id="H9AFDAC3E2DC94B73BBCF326F8D6112C8"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Program
described</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A relief from
disabilities program is implemented by a State in accordance with this section
if the program—</text>
<paragraph id="HE333D4D9BFC6417488D517CC6078E330"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">permits a person who, pursuant to State
law, has been adjudicated as described in subsection (g)(4) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code, or has been committed to a
mental institution, to apply to the State for relief from the disabilities
imposed by subsections (d)(4) and (g)(4) of such section by reason of the
adjudication or commitment;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB0A15412A4ED467194E207EABEBD6C8C"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">provides that a State court, board,
commission, or other lawful authority shall grant the relief, pursuant to State
law and in accordance with the principles of due process, if the circumstances
regarding the disabilities referred to in paragraph (1), and the person’s
record and reputation, are such that the person will not be likely to act in a
manner dangerous to public safety and that the granting of the relief would not
be contrary to the public interest; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H245F8A7D1CC84AB99B0099F62ED10458"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">permits a person whose application for the
relief is denied to file a petition with the State court of appropriate
jurisdiction for a de novo judicial review of the denial.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H0C5FC91BDB2C4DF59E192B95031BFB63"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Authority To
provide relief from certain disabilities with respect to firearms</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If, under a State relief from disabilities
program implemented in accordance with this section, an application for relief
referred to in subsection (a)(1) of this section is granted with respect to an
adjudication or a commitment to a mental institution, the adjudication or
commitment, as the case may be, is deemed not to have occurred for purposes of
subsections (d)(4) and (g)(4) of
section
922 of title 18, United States Code.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Focusing Federal
assistance on the improvement of relevant records</header>
<section id="H67D2EB212BAD49C5822208DF16F65D14"><enum>201.</enum><header>Continuing
evaluations</header>
<subsection id="H91658E2D7EF44D6BB163C843A61FECD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Evaluation
required</header><text>The Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics
(referred to in this section as the <quote>Director</quote>) shall study and
evaluate the operations of the National Instant Criminal Background Check
System. Such study and evaluation shall include compilations and analyses of
the operations and record systems of the agencies and organizations necessary
to support such System.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H38ABBDDE5FE24EDA9F5DC41FF7EFFA14"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report on
grants</header><text>Not later than January 31 of each year, the Director shall
submit to Congress a report containing the estimates submitted by the States
under section 102(b).</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H7842CB0F0F2E492DBDE9C8DCD8B04964"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Report on best
practices</header><text>Not later than January 31 of each year, the Director
shall submit to Congress, and to each State participating in the National
Criminal History Improvement Program, a report of the practices of the States
regarding the collection, maintenance, automation, and transmittal of
information relevant to determining whether a person is prohibited from
possessing or receiving a firearm by Federal or State law, by the State or any
other agency, or any other records relevant to the National Instant Criminal
Background Check System, that the Director considers to be best
practices.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H25B15D5A9ECC4379BC76AFBA6039EEB0"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Authorization of
appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated such sums
as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2010 to complete
the studies, evaluations, and reports required under this section.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>III</enum><header>Grants to State
court systems for the improvement in automation and transmittal of disposition
records</header>
<section id="H3D786002F67F44028B49191E79D4B234"><enum>301.</enum><header>Disposition
records automation and transmittal improvement grants</header>
<subsection id="H532AF7FBEF8D48C5BF4E0051FCF41ED3"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Grants
authorized</header><text>From amounts made available to carry out this section,
the Attorney General shall make grants to each State, consistent with State
plans for the integration, automation, and accessibility of criminal history
records, for use by the State court system to improve the automation and
transmittal of criminal history dispositions, records relevant to determining
whether a person has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic
violence, court orders, and mental health adjudications or commitments, to
Federal and State record repositories in accordance with sections 102 and 103
and the National Criminal History Improvement Program.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H6BCF2D687E72408EA565B0F710475DE8"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Grants to Indian
tribes</header><text>Up to 5 percent of the grant funding available under this
section may be reserved for Indian tribal governments for use by Indian tribal
judicial systems.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H0688E9D094704E949329FC86A9B624DE"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Use of
funds</header><text>Amounts granted under this section shall be used by the
State court system only—</text>
<paragraph id="H043CEEA7846A4D35AC0085006E00574C"><enum>(1)</enum><text>to carry out, as
necessary, assessments of the capabilities of the courts of the State for the
automation and transmission of arrest and conviction records, court orders, and
mental health adjudications or commitments to Federal and State record
repositories; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H5D2FE4C529C24397AFE0406C1D68F908"><enum>(2)</enum><text>to implement
policies, systems, and procedures for the automation and transmission of arrest
and conviction records, court orders, and mental health adjudications or
commitments to Federal and State record repositories.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HD3B6286CE46844359C5CBD271FEBD7E0"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Eligibility</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section, a State shall certify, to the satisfaction of the Attorney
General, that the State has implemented a relief from disabilities program in
accordance with section 105.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HDBC0206A3D984EE3B9F2CC1E44703587"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Authorization of
appropriations</header><text>There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Attorney General to carry out this section $125,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2008 through 2010.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>IV</enum><header>GAO
audit</header>
<section id="HA83C4D6794154C959175E6B6DB7E2C4F"><enum>401.</enum><header>GAO
audit</header>
<subsection id="H24A90712412346919EF4F353A006907"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct an audit of the expenditure of all funds appropriated for criminal
records improvement pursuant to section 106(b) of the Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/103/159">Public Law 103–159</external-xref>) to determine if
the funds were expended for the purposes authorized by the Act and how those
funds were expended for those purposes or were otherwise expended.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H55C66E3C156B44D2A06FCF5B29F7BCE3"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not
later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General shall submit a report to Congress describing the findings of the audit
conducted pursuant to subsection (a).</text>
</subsection></section>
Passed the House of
Representatives June 13, 2007.
Lorraine C. Miller,
Clerk.