H.R. 8352 · Where this bill is now
Passed both chambers
House: Passed May 12, 2026, by voice vote; Senate: Passed Sep 30, 2026, by unanimous consent
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLets police training agencies access federal criminal records
This bill creates a new permission for peace officer standards and training agencies—the state and local organizations that set rules for who can become a police officer—to access criminal history information kept by the FBI. Right now, these agencies don't have this access, but the bill would let them look up criminal records to help them make decisions about hiring, training, and keeping police officers.
How it affects you
If you work in law enforcement training or hiring, this could change how your agency vets and certifies officers by giving you direct access to federal criminal records. For the general public, this might affect the quality of police officer screening in your state or territory, since these agencies would have more information when deciding who qualifies to become a law enforcement officer.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, May 4, 2026)
Criminal History Access Act of 2026
This bill authorizes a new type of entity—peace officer standards and training agencies—to access criminal history record information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The term peace officer standards and training agency means an agency of a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory that is authorized to set standards for the hiring, training, ethical conduct, and retention of its law enforcement officers through certification, licensing, or other similar qualification processes.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 8352
AN ACT
Criminal History Access Act of 2026
Sponsor: Rep. Derek Schmidt (R-KS-2) · Introduced Apr 16, 2026 · Law · 5 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 30, 2026: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5299)”