FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5213

                          C 187 L 99

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Requiring record checks for employees of approved private schools who have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Kohl‑Welles and Costa).

Senate Committee on Education

House Committee on Education

House Committee on Appropriations

Background:  State law requires most classroom teachers in private schools to have a Washington State teaching certificate.

Since 1992, all applicants seeking an initial Washington State teaching certificate must undergo a fingerprint record check to discover any in-state or out-of-state criminal convictions.  The applicant is responsible for the $59 record check fee.  In addition, there is a charge for obtaining the applicant=s fingerprints, which ranges between $10 and $20.

Since 1992, all public school employee applicants (certificated and classified) who will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children must undergo a fingerprint record check.  In 1996, the state required and funded fingerprint record checks for all public school employees hired prior to 1992 who have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children but had not had a fingerprint record check.

Approved private schools are not required or authorized to obtain fingerprint record checks on employees.

Summary:  Approved private schools are authorized to obtain a fingerprint record check on current and future employees who have not had such a check, if the employee will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children.  The Superintendent of Public Instruction must provide the applicant a copy of the record report.  The private school or the applicant must pay the costs associated with the record check.  Applicants may be employed on a conditional basis pending completion of the investigation.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate 48 0

House     95 0 (House amended)

Senate    43 0 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  May 5, 1999