CFDA#
16.554
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Funder Type
Federal Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
Summary
The NCHIP grant program is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and racial equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and builds trust between law enforcement and the community.
The Burea of Justice Statistics (BJS) is publishing this notice to announce the continuation of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) in fiscal year (FY) 2023, to identify the program priorities, and to provide information on application requirements. This year, BJS is prioritizing the use of funds for two purposes: (1) to improve reporting of dispositions and (2) to improve reporting to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) of persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for reasons related to mental health.
BJS is authorized to provide for improvements in the accuracy, quality, timeliness, immediate accessibility, and integration of State and tribal criminal history and related records, support the development and enhancement of national systems of criminal history and related records including the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the records of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), facilitate State and tribal participation in national records and information systems, and support statistical research for critical analysis of the improvement and utilization of criminal history records.” NCHIP, the NCHIP Supplemental Funding, and the NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) are means by which BJS provides for such improvements.
History of Funding
In FY 2023, approximately 37 awards totaling $63,657,437, under the NCHIP program. https://bjs.ojp.gov/funding/opportunities/o-bjs-2023-171664
In FY 2022, approximately 32 awards totaling $57,704,408, under the NCHIP program. https://bjs.ojp.gov/funding/awards/list?field_award_status_value=All&state=All&field_funding_type_value=All&field_served_nationally_value=All&fiscal_year=2022&combine_awards=NCHIP&awardee=&city=#awards-awards-list-block-htey2r6n6vxb64p4
In FY 2020, BJS made 61 awards totaling approximately $69.3 million under this program.
Information about the history of NCHIP and its accomplishments are available at www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=47
Additional Information
As a basic principle of NCHIP, BJS strongly encourages states and tribes to ensure the integrated functioning of record improvement initiatives, regardless of the funding source. Also, BJS urges applicants to match or leverage the federal funds provided with other resources to the maximum extent possible.
Goals
This funding will assist states and tribes with finding ways to make more records available to NICS, including records in NCIC, criminal history record information available through the Interstate Identification Index (III), and records in the NICS Indices. Therefore, through the funded activities, BJS expects that more records (including improved quality, completeness, and timeliness) will become available in these systems.
Objectives
An applicant should address the objectives that are relevant to their proposed program/ project in the Goals, Objectives, Deliverables and Timeline web-based form:
- Provide direct financial and technical assistance to states, state courts, and tribes to improve their criminal history record systems and related systems to support background checks, including NICS checks.
- Ensure the infrastructure connects criminal history record systems to the state record repository or appropriate federal agency record system and ensure records are accessible through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) record systems.
- Provide the training and technical assistance needed to ensure that criminal history and related record systems are developed and managed to conform to FBI standards and appropriate technologies, while ensuring that contributing agencies adhere to the highest standards of practice with respect to privacy and confidentiality.
- Use systematic evaluation and standardized performance measurements and statistics to assess progress on improving national record holdings and background check systems.
Deliverables
Improve the automation, quality, completeness, and availability of criminal history information at the state and federal level.
Areas of Focus:
- Updating and automating case outcomes from courts and prosecutors in state or tribal records and the FBI's Criminal History File
- Improving access to information concerning persons prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm for mental health reasons and transmitting relevant records to NICS
- Supporting participation in the III and the National Fingerprint File (NFF), including adoption and implementation of the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact
- Supporting efforts to seal and expunge criminal history information in accordance with state laws and policies
Eligibility Details
Eligible applicants are limited to the agency designated by the governor in each state to administer the NCHIP program and federally recognized Indian tribal governments, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, States and tribes may choose to submit applications as part of a multi-state consortium, multi-tribe consortium, or other entity.
Deadline Details
Applicants were to submit an SF-424 and an SF-LLL in Grants.gov by May 24, 2023, 8:59 PM ET. Applicants were then to submit the full application in JustGrants by May 31, 2023, 8:59 PM ET. A similar deadline is anticipated annually.
Award Details
Approximately $70,000,000 is available in total funding in 2023. Up to 40 awards will be granted. Project period is 12 to 24 months. Cost sharing or match is not required. The period of performance start date can be as early as October 1, 2023 to as late as January 1, 2024.
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