Opportunity Information: Apply for BJS 2019 15723
The FY 2019 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) is a U.S. Department of Justice funding opportunity run by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) that aims to strengthen the quality, completeness, and accessibility of records used by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The program is rooted in the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA), enacted after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, where the perpetrator was able to buy firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee because key disqualifying mental health information was not available to NICS at the time of the background checks. In practical terms, this grant program is designed to close gaps in the records that determine whether someone is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under federal or state law.
The central purpose of NARIP is records improvement. It supports efforts to ensure that disqualifying records, including prohibiting mental health adjudications and commitments as well as other prohibiting factors, are captured accurately, updated promptly, and made available in a way that NICS can use during a background check. By improving how these records are collected, digitized, and shared, the program seeks to prevent unlawful firearm transfers to prohibited individuals while also improving efficiency for lawful buyers. A major theme of the program is automation: modernizing and automating record systems can reduce manual backlogs, improve timeliness, and reduce delays that can occur when background checks depend on incomplete or hard-to-access information.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary competitive opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency generally expects to have a more involved partnership role than in a standard formula grant. The funding activity category is listed as "Information and Statistics," reflecting BJS's mission and the program's emphasis on improving the data infrastructure that supports background checks. The opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number BJS 2019 15723 and is tied to CFDA 16.813. The solicitation was created on April 23, 2019, with an original closing date of June 3, 2019.
In terms of scale, the solicitation anticipated up to 28 awards, with an award ceiling of $5,000,000 per award. Eligibility is indicated as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the solicitation's additional eligibility text, which typically signals that eligible entities may include certain state, local, territorial, or tribal governments or designated agencies and offices responsible for maintaining or transmitting relevant records, depending on the program rules. Overall, the opportunity focuses on helping jurisdictions improve the underlying record systems that feed NICS so that background checks work as intended: identifying prohibiting histories when they exist, and avoiding unnecessary delays when they do not.Apply for BJS 2019 15723
- The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics in the information and statistics sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2019 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.813.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 23, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 03, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $5,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 28 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the FY 2019 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP)?
The FY 2019 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) is a U.S. Department of Justice funding opportunity administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Its purpose is to strengthen the quality, completeness, and accessibility of records that are used by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) during firearm background checks.
Which federal agency runs this grant opportunity?
This opportunity is run by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
What problem is NARIP designed to address?
NARIP is designed to close gaps in the records that determine whether a person is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms under federal or state law. In practical terms, it supports efforts to make sure disqualifying records are captured accurately, updated promptly, and accessible in ways that NICS can use during a background check.
What is the central purpose of NARIP?
The central purpose of NARIP is records improvement. The program supports efforts to improve how prohibiting records are collected, digitized, updated, and shared so that NICS has the information it needs to identify prohibiting histories when they exist.
What kinds of records does NARIP focus on improving?
Based on the information provided, NARIP emphasizes disqualifying records, including prohibiting mental health adjudications and commitments, as well as other prohibiting factors that affect whether someone is legally eligible to purchase or possess firearms.
How does this program relate to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)?
NARIP focuses on improving the underlying record systems that feed information into NICS. By improving record quality and accessibility, the program aims to help NICS background checks work as intended: flagging disqualifying histories when they exist and reducing unnecessary delays when they do not.
What law is this program rooted in, and why was it enacted?
NARIP is rooted in the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA). The NIAA was enacted after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, where the perpetrator was able to purchase firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee because key disqualifying mental health information was not available to NICS at the time of the background checks.
What outcomes is NARIP intended to support?
NARIP is intended to help prevent unlawful firearm transfers to prohibited individuals by strengthening record completeness and availability. It is also intended to improve efficiency for lawful buyers by reducing delays that can occur when background checks rely on incomplete, outdated, or hard-to-access information.
Does the program emphasize any specific approach to records improvement?
Is this a formula grant or a competitive grant?
This is described as a discretionary competitive funding opportunity.
What is the award mechanism (grant vs. cooperative agreement)?
The opportunity is offered as a cooperative agreement. This generally means the federal agency expects to have a more involved partnership role with award recipients than it would under a standard grant structure.
What is the funding activity category for this opportunity?
The funding activity category is listed as "Information and Statistics," which aligns with BJS's mission and reflects the program's emphasis on improving data and records infrastructure that supports background checks.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this solicitation?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BJS 2019 15723.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is tied to CFDA 16.813.
When was the solicitation created and when was it originally due?
The solicitation was created on April 23, 2019. The original closing date was June 3, 2019.
How many awards were anticipated under this solicitation?
The solicitation anticipated up to 28 awards.
What is the maximum amount that can be awarded per award?
The award ceiling is listed as $5,000,000 per award.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is indicated as "Others," with further clarification referenced in the solicitation's additional eligibility text. Based on the description provided, this typically signals that eligible entities may include certain state, local, territorial, or tribal governments, or designated agencies and offices responsible for maintaining or transmitting relevant records, depending on the program rules.
What does "Others" mean in the eligibility field for this opportunity?
In this context, "Others" indicates that eligibility is not limited to a single standard applicant type and that additional eligibility requirements are described elsewhere in the solicitation. The information provided notes that this usually points to certain governmental entities or designated agencies involved in maintaining or transmitting records used for background checks.
How does improving record accessibility help NICS background checks?
Improving record accessibility helps ensure NICS can use the relevant information during a background check. If disqualifying records are hard to locate, incomplete, or not available in an accessible format, background checks can be delayed or may not reflect the full prohibiting history that should be considered.
Why is timeliness of record updates important under NARIP?
Timely updates matter because background checks rely on the most current available information. The program description highlights that records should be updated promptly so that NICS can identify prohibiting histories when they exist and avoid unnecessary delays when they do not.
What is the practical focus of NARIP for jurisdictions?
The practical focus is helping jurisdictions improve the underlying record systems that feed NICS. This includes efforts related to accurate capture of disqualifying records, digitization, improved sharing, and automation to reduce manual processes and backlogs.
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