Criminal History Access Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill gives state agencies that license and train police officers the power to see federal criminal history records. These agencies are responsible for deciding who is fit to be a police officer and making sure they follow ethical rules.
• Right now, these state boards often struggle to get a complete look at an applicant's past if they have records in other states. This change would allow them to see the full picture during background checks for new hires or when reviewing an officer's license.
• The plan aims to improve public safety by making sure people with disqualifying criminal backgrounds cannot become law enforcement officers. It also helps agencies decide if an officer should lose their license for bad behavior.
• If passed, the Attorney General would have 180 days to update federal regulations to allow this data sharing. This would affect police departments and training boards in every state and U.S. territory.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.