White House asks Brown for help with records of those buying guns
Obama administration seeks California’s records on criminal history, mental health.
WASHINGTON — Hours after President Obama announced new actions aimed at reducing gun violence, the Obama administration asked California Gov. Jerry Brown to add information to the FBI database used for gun background checks.
Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch requested Brown’s help to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System by adding California’s records about mental illness, criminal history and domestic violence.
“The [Background Check System] is a critical tool in keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons, but it is only as effective as the information entered into the databases upon which it relies,” Lynch wrote in a letter obtained by The Times.
Similar letters were sent to other governors, and in coming months the FBI will release data about how many records each state supplies to the database.
California is one of just 13 states that agreed to act as an intermediary between gun sellers and the FBI by having a state agency perform the background check using the National Instant Background Check System. Oregon and Nevada also act as intermediaries.
Lynch called the partnership “vital” and said states can provide quicker responses, have access to more complete and timely criminal history data and may have better information about whether a a person who has been convicted of a crime is eligible to purchase a gun.
Three dozen states and territories rely on the federal government to perform all aspects of a background check.
Brown’s office directed questions about the letter to California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris.
The letter can be read in full at latimes.com/gunletter.