Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2012, $1,200,000)
The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, Pub. L. 110-180 ("NICS Improvement Act"), was signed into law by the President on January 8, 2008. The NICS Improvement Act amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 ("the Brady Act") (Pub. L. 103-159), under which the Attorney General established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The Brady Act requires Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to contact the NICS before transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person for information on whether the proposed transferee is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm under state or federal law. The NICS Improvement Act authorizes grants to be made in a manner consistent with the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP).
Under this award, the West Virginia Supreme Court Administrative Offices will partner with the West Virginia State Police and West Virginia Criminal Justice and Community Service to complete tasks assocated with a Disposition Project and a Mental Health NICS Database Project. Specifically, funds will be used to initiate efforts to resolve the current disposition backlog of about 44,000 records and prevent future backlogs as well as to implement systems to enable the automation and electronic submission of data to NICS. Funds will also be used to expand the existing reporting software system for mental health prohibitors to include persons unable to stand trial by reason of mental illness or insanity and persons found not guilty by reason of mental illness or insanity, expand the existing automated system to include additional mental health prohibitors, and support the work of a quality data manager to continue the state's efforts to verify mental health data daily, provide training and technical assistance, and complete assigned administrative tasks.
CA/NCF