FY 2021 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) | O BJS 2021 38002 PROD

Opportunity Information: Apply for O BJS 2021 38002 PROD

The FY 2021 NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP) is a U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) funding opportunity meant to help states close information gaps in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The underlying authority comes from the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 (NIAA), codified at 34 U.S.C. 40912, which was created to address missing or incomplete records that affect whether NICS can accurately identify people who are legally prohibited from receiving or possessing firearms under federal or state law. In practical terms, the program is designed to support better record quality and better data sharing so NICS can function as intended, while also reducing unnecessary delays for lawful firearm purchasers that can occur when records are incomplete or not automated.

The central problem NARIP targets is that prohibiting records are often scattered across courts, mental health adjudication systems, law enforcement repositories, and other state databases, and may not be consistently digitized or transmitted to the systems used during a NICS background check. The NIAA specifically highlights gaps related to mental health adjudications and commitments, but the program also applies to other categories of prohibiting factors. By improving completeness and automating these records, states can increase the likelihood that disqualifying information is available at the time of a background check, which helps prevent firearm transfers to prohibited individuals and can speed up decisions when the relevant data is already accessible and standardized.

For FY 2021, BJS states two clear priorities for how grant funds should be used. First, funds are prioritized to enhance the completeness, automation, and transmittal of records to state and federal systems that support NICS. This includes the kinds of work that make records more usable and shareable, such as digitizing paper files, improving data quality, standardizing formats, linking systems so records can be transmitted reliably, and strengthening the technical processes that move records from state sources into the repositories queried during NICS checks. Second, BJS prioritizes improvements in reporting to NICS of individuals prohibited from possessing firearms for reasons related to domestic violence and mental health. This focus reflects ongoing concerns that domestic-violence-related prohibitors and certain mental health prohibitors may be underreported or inconsistently reported, which can undermine background check effectiveness.

The FY 2021 NARIP solicitation is a discretionary funding opportunity offered through a cooperative agreement, meaning the federal government typically expects a closer working relationship with award recipients than under a standard grant. The opportunity is listed under the law, justice, and legal services activity category and is associated with CFDA number 16.813. The posting indicates an anticipated total scale of awards with an award ceiling listed at $23,000,000 and an expectation of about 26 awards, signaling an intent to fund multiple recipients rather than a single large project. The opportunity was created on December 15, 2020, with an original closing date of April 23, 2021.

Eligibility is aimed at states, but the listing uses a broad category label ("Others") with a note to consult the detailed eligibility section for specific conditions. That detail matters because the NIAA not only authorizes the grant program, it also sets performance expectations and includes penalties tied to noncompliance with the Act's record completeness goals. In addition, the Act requires certain pre-award conditions that a state must meet before receiving funds under the program. In other words, NARIP is structured as both an assistance program to help states improve reporting and a compliance-driven mechanism to encourage states to meet national record completeness benchmarks.

Overall, FY 2021 NARIP is best understood as targeted federal support for state-level records modernization and reporting improvements that directly affect the accuracy and speed of firearm background checks. Its emphasis on automation, completeness, and timely transmittal is aimed at making sure prohibiting records, especially those tied to domestic violence and mental health prohibitions, are properly captured and made available to NICS so that firearm eligibility decisions can be made correctly and efficiently.

• The Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics in the law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 2021 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 Dec 15, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 23, 2021. (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 $23,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 26 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for O BJS 2021 38002 PROD

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