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Senate committee defers bill to remove duplicate background check for early childhood ancillary certificate
Summary
The Senate Committee on Education deferred House Bill 352, which would remove an additional criminal background check requirement tied to the Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate (ECAC), after providers and advocates described the extra check as redundant and costly.
The Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday deferred House Bill 352, legislation from Representative Larvideyne that would exempt holders of an existing childcare criminal background check from a newly imposed additional criminal background check required to obtain an Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate.
The bill’s sponsor and witnesses told the committee the change aims to avoid duplicative fingerprint-based checks and save time and money for child care providers. Cindy Bishop, testifying for the bill, said the childcare criminal background check (CC CBC) is portable and valid for five years and that a new January 2025 state requirement created an additional, redundant check for the ECAC. “It’s a waste of money, it’s a waste of time, and it’s redundant,” Bishop said.
In testimony, Tara Emery, president of the Child Care Association of Louisiana and a provider, said the additional fingerprint check imposes a real cost on small providers. “This extra $59 is an actual burden,” Emery said, adding the money could instead be used for staff pay, classroom supplies or rising insurance costs. Committee members asked clarifying questions about which checks are currently required and which ages are covered; Bishop and others explained the existing childcare CBC covers birth through kindergarten and is uploaded to the Identigo system used by the Louisiana Department of Education for real-time eligibility checks.
Representative Larvideyne and witnesses explained the federal FBI rules limit reuse of fingerprint submissions for multiple purposes, which has led to the new ECAC-specific check. Committee members discussed whether the existing CBC could be recognized for the ECAC and whether clarifying statute language might avoid duplicate fingerprinting.
Chairman Edmonds and members agreed to defer the bill for one week so authors and stakeholders can address questions and provide additional information. The bill was not amended or voted on; the committee set a follow-up hearing for the next Wednesday.
Committee discussion and public testimony focused on the administrative burden and the financial cost cited by providers; no formal policy change was enacted at the hearing.
