House OKs bill requiring SBI criminal-history checks for local government applicants who will supervise children

The North Carolina House on March 25 passed House Bill 162, a bill that requires applicants for local government positions who will supervise children to undergo a criminal-history check by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). The bill passed recorded second and third readings and will be sent to the Senate.

Sponsor Representative Loftus described the measure as creating "checks and balances for anyone who will be supervising children in the future" and said it would apply to cities, towns and counties. "It applies to cities, towns, counties, so that anyone who is gonna be supervising children in the future will have a full background check by the SBI," Loftus said.

The House recorded a second-reading vote of 117 in the affirmative and none in the negative. The bill later passed its third reading by voice vote and will be transmitted to the Senate. The transcript does not record implementation timing, funding for checks, or whether the SBI check replaces or supplements existing local background checks; those details were not specified on the floor.