2020 VSP NICS 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 2020 NARIP priority areas, the Virginia State Police (VSP) will administer and monitor 2 projects that will contribute to reporting more disqualifying records to the NICS:

1) Research and Resolve Delayed Firearms Transactions: VSP will use NARIP funds to hire one full-time employee to research and resolve delayed firearm transactions for the purchase or possession of firearms. This project supports the commitment of the VSP to accurately and efficiently identify persons who are ineligible to purchase or possess a firearm. The goals of this project are to: implement data sharing that will improve the effectiveness of background checks for the possession of firearms; enter, clarify, or update records of federal disqualification in the NICS Indices, primarily, the MCDV and the Mental Health files; reduce or eliminate extensive delays in the resolution of NICS background check firearm inquiries, to share records of disqualification to state counterparts, and; reduce the duplication of effort by the FBI or state agencies subject to processing a NICS background check for the same individual, and to provide an improved product to the lawfully eligible customer while preventing the transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person.

2) VSP VCheck System Upgrade: VSP will use NARIP funds to a purchase equipment and software to streamline operations in the CJIS Division Firearms Transaction Center. The upgrades will expedite the issuance of permits and enable fingerprint-based national criminal history record information checks to be performed within the Firearms Transaction Center (FTC). The new system has greatly improved the application processing time, but it has been determined that productivity would be increased by an Alpha Card Magicard Rio ID Card System located at each workstation. The project includes the purchase of three additional Alpha Card machines. Applicant fingerprint cards are required to perform a national criminal record background check using an AFIS. The national background check for the Nonresident Concealed Handgun Permit is performed in the FTC; however, the fingerprint cards for the Seller ID Number are divided among three different Sections for processing. The FTC will streamline the application process for Seller ID Numbers by performing the national criminal record background check within the section, which will be accomplished with the purchase of an Epson flatbed scanner and necessary software to interface with Livescans and the VCheck system. The scanner, and affiliated software, will eliminate the current delay in the national background check and provide an improved product to the individual seeking employment.

(CA/NCF)