Congress passed H.R. 8352, the Criminal History Access Act of 2026, on September 30, 2026. The bill goes to the President next.

The legislation aims to authorize peace officer standards and training agencies to access criminal history records. Rep. Derek Schmidt sponsored the bill. Schmidt is a Republican representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district.

Timeline

The bill was introduced on April 16, 2026. The House passed the bill via voice vote on May 12, 2026. The bill’s passage in the Senate via Unanimous Consent on September 30, 2026, marked the 12th time this procedural method was used for criminal justice legislation in the 119th Congress. Congress passed H.R. 8352, the Criminal History Access Act of 2026, on September 30, 2026. The Senate passed the bill via Unanimous Consent on September 30, 2026. The bill goes to the President next. Primary source: congress.gov

What's New

The bill’s passage in the Senate via Unanimous Consent on September 30, 2026, marked the 12th time this procedural method was used for criminal justice legislation in the 119th Congress. Rep. Schmidt collaborated with the Kansas Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (KPOST) during the development of the Criminal History Access Act. The Criminal History Access Act of 2026 is explicitly described as an updated version of H.R. 5211, reflecting legislative refinement to address gaps in law enforcement certification processes. Primary sources: govinfo.gov, govinfo.gov (2)

The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) publicly endorsed the Criminal History Access Act as a critical step to standardize law enforcement vetting. Rep. Schmidt introduced H.R. 5211 in 2025, a predecessor bill addressing law enforcement background check access, which this legislation updates. Colorado's POST agency reported four instances where lack of access to federal criminal records led to law enforcement candidates being approved despite disqualifying criminal histories. Schmidt served in the Kansas Senate, representing the 15th district, where he served as Agriculture Committee chairman and Senate majority leader. Primary sources: ross.house.gov, govinfo.gov

Why It Matters

The Criminal History Access Act of 2026 is explicitly described as an updated version of H.R. 5211, reflecting legislative refinement to address gaps in law enforcement certification processes. Rep. Schmidt introduced H.R. 5211 in 2025, a predecessor bill addressing law enforcement background check access, which this legislation updates. The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) publicly endorsed the Criminal History Access Act as a critical step to standardize law enforcement vetting.

Colorado's POST agency reported four instances where lack of access to federal criminal records led to law enforcement candidates being approved despite disqualifying criminal histories. Rep. Schmidt collaborated with the Kansas Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (KPOST) during the development of the Criminal History Access Act.