HR 5211119th CongressIn Committee

Peace Officer Standards and Training Agency Information Access Clarification Act

Introduced: Sep 8, 2025

Civil Rights & Justice

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, titled the Peace Officer Standards and Training Agency Information Access Clarification Act, would expand who may access certain FBI criminal history records and clarify the meaning of terms related to those access authorities. Specifically, it authorizes peace officer standards and training (POST) agencies—state-level bodies that set hiring, training, ethical standards, and retention criteria for law enforcement officers—to receive and use FBI criminal history information for official purposes. The bill also broadens the definition of “State” to include U.S. territories and federal jurisdictions, and it requires the Attorney General to update federal regulations (CFR Part 20) to implement these changes within 180 days of enactment. In short, the bill formalizes and broadens access to criminal history records for POST agencies and similar state-level bodies, under a defined set of official uses, and it directs regulatory updating to effectuate that access.

Key Points

1Amends 28 U.S.C. § 534 to allow exchange of FBI criminal history records with, and for the official use of, authorized officials of the Federal Government and “the States,” explicitly including state POST agencies, state sentencing commissions, Indian tribes, cities, penal and other institutions, and other specified entities.
2Adds explicit definitions:
3- “Peace officer standards and training agency” means a state agency with statutory authority to set standards for hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention of law enforcement officers through certification, licensing, or similar qualification processes.
4- “State” now includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other U.S. territory or possession.
5Regulatory requirement: The Attorney General must amend CFR Part 20 within 180 days of enactment to implement the Act’s provisions and align regulations with the expanded access and definitions.
6Scope of use: Access is limited to “official use” by authorized officials, meaning the information is to be used for legitimate governmental purposes related to law enforcement standards, training, certification, hiring, and related oversight.
7Compatibility with existing federal-state information sharing: The change explicitly places POST agencies on the list of authorized recipients, signaling a formal alignment between federal CHRI access and state-level officer standards bodies.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Peace officer standards and training agencies (POST agencies) and state sentencing commissions that oversee law enforcement hiring and training standards. These entities would gain formal access to FBI criminal history records for official purposes.Secondary group/area affected- State and local governmental entities (including Indian tribes, cities) and other institutions named in the amendment. This broadens the network that can receive CHRI for official use.Additional impacts- Regulatory framework: The AG must update CFR Part 20 within 180 days to implement the expanded access, creating clearer rules for data handling, privacy, security, and permissible uses.- Privacy and data security considerations: More entities would handle CHRI, necessitating robust privacy protections, data security measures, accountability, and oversight to prevent misuse.- Intergovernmental coordination: The bill could improve consistency in background checks and credentialing across states by aligning POST standards with access to CHRI.

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