States gain FBI access to police criminal histories for officer discipline

What it does

This bill amends federal law to allow state peace officer standards and training agencies (the bodies that certify and license police officers) to access FBI criminal history records. Currently, these agencies cannot directly access such records; the bill adds them to the list of authorized recipients. The Attorney General must issue implementing regulations within 180 days.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is to expand state oversight capacity by granting peace officer standards and training agencies access to federal criminal history records. This is a transparency and accountability measure aimed at improving police discipline and hiring standards at the state level.

What the text implies

• Agencies may use criminal history access to identify patterns of misconduct across jurisdictions, potentially enabling better interstate coordination on officer discipline and preventing 'officer shopping' (moving between departments to escape accountability).
• The 180-day regulatory timeline may create implementation delays; the scope of 'official use' and data-security requirements will be defined by Attorney General rulemaking, not statute, leaving room for variation in how states deploy the access.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

Citizens benefit from stronger state-level oversight of police hiring, training, and discipline. Peace officer standards and training agencies use criminal history records to enforce ethical standards and prevent unfit officers from being hired or retained; expanded access supports accountability and public safety. No offsetting cost to citizens is apparent.

Named in the bill

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Attorney General, Peace Officer Standards and Training Agencies (state-level), United States Sentencing Commission, State sentencing commissions, 28 U.S.C. § 534, 28 CFR Part 20

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Democrats.

• Apr 16, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Apr 16, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary and Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
• Apr 22, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Apr 22, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote”
• May 12, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3370-3371)”
• May 12, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Schmidt moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”
• Sep 30, 2026 — Passed both chambers · Congress.gov: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.