FY 2018 NARIP

The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, P. L. 110-180 ("NIAA"), was initially signed into law by the President on January 8, 2008 (reauthorized by Title VI of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, P.L. 115-141). The NIAA 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 NIAA authorizes grants to be made in a manner consistent with the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP).

Under the 2018 NARIP, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (MD DPSCS) will use funds to research missing disposition and expungement records. Since 2010, approximately 174,000 records have been researched and updated in the state, however, missing disposition cases are submitted to CJIS daily. To date, Maryland has 47,853 records missing critical disposition information for arrests. These files must be researched and linked to existing electronic arrest records in order to reduce the backlog of missing dispositions and comply with federal guidelines.

(CA/NCF)