S. 3882 — Fair Legal Access Grants Act

This section establishes a new grant program under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide legal representation and resources to individuals eligible to petition State or Tribal courts for extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs)—i.e., court orders prohibiting firearm possession, purchase, or control by a named individual to reduce the risk of firearm-related death or injury. The Attorney General may award grants to States, local governments, and Tribal governments to (1) ensure petitioners' access to counsel and interpretation/translation services; (2) establish multilingual legal resource centers for ERPO information and inquiries; (3) hire personnel to process/represent petitioners or serve as legal coordinators; (4) award subgrants to nonprofit legal aid organizations; and (5) train legal providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and court personnel on ERPOs versus domestic violence protection orders. The section authorizes $50 million annually for FY2027 through FY2031.

This section bars federal courts from exercising jurisdiction over any federal, state, tribal, or local cause of action against a covered petitioner (as defined in section 509(a) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as added by section 2) for filing a petition for an extreme risk protection order (i.e., a court order temporarily prohibiting firearm possession by persons deemed an imminent danger), unless the petition was false or intentionally harassing. (Thus, it immunizes good-faith filers from federal lawsuits.)