State agencies that certify and license law enforcement officers — called POST agencies (peace officer standards and training) — will now be explicitly authorized to receive FBI criminal history records. Federal law already allows the FBI to share these records with states, cities, tribes, and prisons, but POST agencies were not named in that list. The change fills that gap, letting POST agencies check an officer's criminal background when making hiring, licensing, or retention decisions. The bill also extends the same access to POST agencies in U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa.
Transparency & Accountability
- POST agency access to FBI criminal history records — enables officer background checks for certification and retention decisions
Congressional Summary
Criminal History Access Act of 2026This bill authorizes a new type of entity—peace officer standards and training agencies—to access criminal history record information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The term peace officer standards and training agency means an agency of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory that is authorized to set standards for the hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention of its law enforcement officers through certification, licensing, or other similar qualification processes.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Reported to House
- Action Date
- 2026-05-04
- Date Added
- 2026-05-08
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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