SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6614

                    As of January 21, 2000

Title:  An act relating to criminal history background checks.

Brief Description:  Providing for the use of criminal history records by the secretary of social and health services in establishing licensing requirements.

Sponsors:  Senators Hargrove, Long, Sheahan and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  1/28/2000.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Staff:  Joan K. Mell (786-7447)

Background:  Applicants for a Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) license, licensees and their employees, and other persons who have unsupervised access to children in care who have not resided in the state for three years before being authorized to care for children must be fingerprinted.  The Washington State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct a criminal history records check.

Summary of Bill:  DSHS must consult with law enforcement and investigate the conviction record or pending charges and dependency record information for any applicant for a license with DSHS, their employees, and other persons who have unsupervised access to children in care who have not resided in state for three years.  Individuals or entities contracting with the department to provide services to vulnerable adults such as boarding homes, adult family homes, home health, hospice and home care agencies, soldiers and veteran's homes, assisted living and enhanced adult residential care, community residential support services, in home services, and habilitative services for the developmentally disabled are excluded.

DSHS may reasonably rely upon a criminal history records check of the Washington State Patrol criminal identification system and a Federal Bureau of Investigation check by another governmental agency or the United States military if the check is less than one year old.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 21, 2000.

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