Rep. Dieter and Rep. Stewart provided sponsor testimony to the Senate Health Committee on House Bill 440, a measure they said was requested by the FBI to clarify the background-check process administered by the Ohio Board of Nursing.

“This legislation…simply provides clarification to ensure that access to these criminal records is limited strictly to the board of nursing rather than a broader group of individuals when performed before licensure,” Rep. Dieter told the committee. She said the bill does not change the process, requirements, oversight of background checks, or impose additional checks for licensure, and that it does not apply to employment background checks.

The sponsor testified that the bill included an emergency clause to prevent interruption of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s (BCI) access to national criminal-record databases while statutory language remained unclear. Rep. Dieter said the bill previously passed unanimously out of the House Health Committee and was approved by the full House.

Committee members did not take further action on HB 440 during this hearing. The presentation was accepted as sponsor testimony and the committee proceeded to other business.