Criminal History Access Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8352
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Law
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-13: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-15T03:08:23Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 8352: Criminal History Access Act of 2026
Purpose
This legislation authorizes peace officer standards and training agencies to access federal criminal history records maintained by the FBI for official use in certifying and overseeing law enforcement officers.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 534 of Title 28, United States Code, to explicitly include "peace officer standards and training agencies" among entities eligible to exchange criminal history records with the Attorney General.
- Defines a "peace officer standards and training agency" as a state-level entity with statutory authority to set standards for the hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention of law enforcement officers through certification or similar processes.
- Expands the definition of "State" to cover the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. territories and possessions.
- Directs the Attorney General to update regulations in Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations within 180 days to implement these changes.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Broadens the scope of entities that can receive criminal history information under federal law, moving from general references to "States" to specifically naming training and standards agencies.
- Introduces new statutory definitions to clarify eligibility and geographic coverage, which were not previously detailed in this section.
Potential Impacts
- Enables state and territorial agencies to more directly obtain background data for officer certification and retention decisions.
- May streamline processes for law enforcement oversight without creating new federal programs or mandates.
- Limited effects on international relations, as the bill focuses solely on domestic access within U.S. jurisdictions.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- State and territorial peace officer standards and training agencies.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Justice.
- Law enforcement officers subject to state certification requirements.
- State governments and their sentencing commissions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Expands federal data-sharing authority in a manner consistent with existing criminal justice record policies, potentially raising questions about privacy protections under federal law.
- Operates within the framework of 28 U.S.C. § 534, avoiding direct constitutional conflicts by limiting access to official governmental use.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-13: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-05-12: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-05-12: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3370-3371)
- 2026-05-12: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3370-3371)
- 2026-05-12: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8352.
- 2026-05-12: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3370-3372)
- 2026-05-12: Mr. Schmidt moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 2026-05-04: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 553.
- 2026-05-04: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-636.
- 2026-05-04: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 119-636.
- 2026-04-22: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- 2026-04-22: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2026-04-16: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Criminal History Access Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-12 — PDF (6 pages)
- Criminal History Access Act — issued 2026-04-16 — PDF (3 pages)
- Criminal History Access Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-13 — PDF (4 pages)
- Criminal History Access Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-04 — PDF (6 pages)