Title: An act relating to record checks for employees.

Brief Description: Expanding record check requirements for school employees.

Sponsors: Senators Kohl-Welles, Brandland, McAuliffe, Rasmussen, Rockefeller, Schmidt, Shin, Hargrove, Stevens, Delvin and Roach.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 2/2/06, 2/3/06 [w/oRec-WM].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING, K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATION

Staff: Ingrid Mungia (786-7423)

Background: School districts, educational service districts, the state school for the deaf and blind, and their contractors hiring employees are required to perform a record check before hiring an employee if the employee will have regularly scheduled unsupervised access to children. Record checks are performed through the Washington State Patrol criminal identification system and through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The record check shall include a fingerprint check using a complete Washington State criminal identification fingerprint card.

Summary of Bill: School districts, educational service districts, the state school for the deaf and blind, and their contractors hiring employees are required to perform a record check before hiring an employee regardless of the amount of unsupervised access they will have to children. Record checks are to be performed through the Washington State Patrol criminal identification system and through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Record checks will include a fingerprint check through the Washington State Patrol, instead of using a complete Washington State criminal identification fingerprint card.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This bill comes from the joint task force on criminal background check processes. There are many school employees who are not required to have a fingerprint based background check because they are not viewed as being in a position to have unsupervised access to students. Since it is difficult to identify individuals employed by school districts who never have unsupervised access, it should be made applicable to all school district employees.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Kohl-Welles, prime sponsor.