FBI criminal records now shared with state licensing boards nationwide
S. 1101 — SHARE Act of 2025 · Filed by Peter Welch (D-VT) · 10 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 25, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal law to allow the FBI to share criminal history records with state licensing boards and interstate compacts (multi-state professional licensing agreements) for background checks of people applying for professional licenses. State licensing authorities can use this information only to decide whether to grant a license, and cannot share the actual criminal records with other agencies or the public—though they can tell the interstate compact whether the background check passed or failed.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to authorize FBI criminal history sharing with state licensing boards for professional license background checks. It is a procedural/administrative measure enabling data-sharing between federal and state authorities for occupational licensing purposes.
What the text implies
- Interstate compacts (multi-state licensing agreements) gain indirect access to federal criminal records through state licensing boards, potentially expanding the scope of background-check data available to compact commissions beyond what individual states would independently authorize.
- The bill permits state licensing authorities to inform interstate compacts of background-check results (pass/fail) without sharing the underlying criminal record itself, creating a two-tier disclosure system that may obscure the basis for licensing denials from applicants.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Citizens applying for professional licenses face more rigorous background checks using federal criminal records, which may improve public safety in regulated professions but also raises barriers to licensure for people with criminal histories seeking employment. The bill includes safeguards (state boards cannot share records publicly or with other agencies), but the net effect on ordinary people depends on whether the background-check rigor serves legitimate public protection or becomes a de fac