Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2013, $400,000)
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).
Utah State government, in conjunction with units of Utah local government and State and local courts, are working together to establish and upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations. Utah is a designated point-of-contact (POC) state for the pre-sale of firearms background checks. The Department of Public Safety/Bureau of Criminal Identification (DPS/BCI) is responsible for performing the checks.
Under this award, funds will be used to rewrite the gun background check system in application languages supported by the Department of Information Technology Services, and to replace the call-in background check request system with an online application for FFL dealers. The rewrite will reduce data entry errors and enhance audit and reporting capabilities, as well as allow Utah to continue conducting POC duties through a better, more efficient process.
CA/NCF