Committee reviews amendment expanding centralized criminal-history checks to education providers

Representative Alessandra Murray and Department of Education staff discussed an amendment to expand the state'wide criminal-history check process so that occupational providers who serve multiple districts (physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists) are screened the same way as school bus drivers.

Steve Appleby, Division Director at the Department of Education, told the committee the amendment "is actually in the current statute" but that the change extends the criminal-history lookback from five years to ten years. Committee members asked whether the list of disqualifying offenses had changed; Appleby said the offenses in bold reflect a recent bill (HB 13 73) and otherwise the screened offenses are the same as current practice.

Committee members raised operational questions about fingerprinting: whether resubmission to the FBI is required when statute language with fingerprinting is changed and whether police clearances would be accepted when fingerprint attempts are invalid. Christine Shea, administrator of the criminal records unit for the state police, said that when statutory fingerprinting language already authorized by the FBI is changed the state must resubmit the statute for FBI approval. She confirmed the process would remain "the same process" but would include an expanded group of applicants.

The committee did not take a formal vote during this exchange and closed the subcommittee portion of the meeting after the presenters answered members' questions.