2013 NICS Implementation for South Carolina

The Office of Justice Programs funds the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP). Both of these programs provide essential support and guidance to improve reporting of criminal history and related records used for background checks conducted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) NICS, for individuals seeking to purchase certain firearms. Recent acts of violence have focused national attention on the urgent need to close several persistent information gaps remaining in the background check process. The Bureau of Justice Assistance, in close coordination with Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI, is funding a one-time grant program to complement the ongoing NCHIP and NARIP programs by improving and expanding the data accessible to NICS at the time of a firearm background check to ensure lawful purchases.

This grant will enable the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Court Administration, Department of Mental Health and Probate Court Association to work together to update the State's criminal history records system by entering individuals with court ordered mental health adjudications. A recently enacted State law requires the courts to submit 10 years of retroactive court ordered adjudications, as well as all new court ordered mental adjudications. CA/NCF