Criminal History Access Act of 2026

More agencies would access FBI records

Upon enactment, the bill would expand access to FBI criminal history records for authorized officials, limited to official use. Recipients would include federal officials, the United States Sentencing Commission, states, state sentencing commissions, Indian tribes, cities, and penal and other institutions. State police standards and training agencies would also qualify if state law gives them authority over hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention standards. They would need to set those standards through certification, licensing, or a similar process. The state definition would cover all states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other U.S. territories or possessions. The Attorney General would have to update federal criminal-record rules as needed within 180 days after enactment. This would not directly change household benefits or add individual duties.