Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Background Checks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill to streamline recurring background checks for childcare providers
Summary
House Bill 1357 would allow organizations to reuse an individual's background check across multiple contracts and set a re‑check interval (proposed at four years). Proponents said the change would reduce administrative costs; members asked questions about the frequency and ongoing monitoring mechanisms.
Representative Roe Ray presented House Bill 13 57 (transcribed as 1357), saying the bill would streamline background checks for childcare providers by preventing duplicate checks for the same individual across multiple contracts and proposing a four‑year recheck interval.
Roe Ray said organizations currently may be required to run separate background checks for each contract, which can be costly—she described smaller providers required to obtain checks up to seven times per year and noted checks can cost about $28 per instance. “When you're talking about $28 pop and you've got 200 employees, it really racks up,” she said, and described the bill as intended to let providers focus on serving children rather than repetitive paperwork.
Representative Carolyn Jackson questioned the proposed four‑year interval and asked whether periodic updates or cost‑free number checks could provide sufficient monitoring; witnesses acknowledged many providers already run updates and suggested DCS could be asked for further clarification on why more frequent checks are required in practice.
Hannah Joy of IARCA testified again in support, providing an example quote from a provider that one round of checks for 44 employees cost $4,697; she said repeated checks multiple times a year produce substantial expense for providers.
After questions and brief discussion, the committee moved and took roll call votes on the bill; members recorded affirmative votes for advancement and the committee later reported final aye votes after a late arrival.
