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, routinely submit information to the NICS national database and are continually looking for improvements to systems and policy to improve the submission process which addresses the state goals. The state uses federal resources to supplement state funds for criminal history projects. Utahs Governors Office is the recipient of many federal grants. Under the FY 2016 NARIP Program, the Utah Governors Office will transfer funds to the Utah Prosecution Council and Statewide Association of Prosecutors (UPC) for its Prosecution Case Management System project. UPC is requesting funds under the FY 2016 NARIP program to complete phase II of the case management system project by providing the resources needed to help all of Utahs 29 counties connect to a centralized system. Having a uniform case management system in prosecutor offices will allow for the exchange of the following types of information regarding defendants: names and aliases, charges filed, dismissal, acquittal or convictions, sentencing orders, compliance with probation (i.e. non/payment of fines, non/completion of treatment (substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, etc.), probation violations, protective orders issued, etc. Sharing this information will help increase the accuracy of court and criminal history records and help in making records accessible to NICS. (CA/NCF)
