PROPOSED RULES
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 10-09-080.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 392-300-050 Access to record check data base and 392-300-070 Private school fingerprint process.
Hearing Location(s): Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), Wanamaker Conference Room, 600 South Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504, on September 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: September 21, 2010.
Submit Written Comments to: Catherine Slagle, 600 Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504, e-mail Catherine.slagle@k12.wa.us, fax (360) 753-4201, by September 20, 2010.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Kristin Collins by September 20, 2010, TTY (360) 664-3631 or (360) 725-6270.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Passing of HB 2996 by the 2010 Washington state legislature directs OSPI to provide administrators of approved private schools in Washington state with access to OSPI's electronic record check data base.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Passing of HB 2996.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.400.305.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: OSPI, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting and Implementation: Catherine Slagle, Old Capitol Building, 600 South Washington Street, (360) 725-6136; and Enforcement: Martin T. Mueller, Old Capitol Building, 600 South Washington Street, (360) 725-6175.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. Not necessary for this rule change.
August 9, 2010
Randy Dorn
State Superintendent
OTS-3367.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 07-19-012, filed 9/7/07,
effective 10/8/07)
WAC 392-300-050
Access to record check data base.
School districts, the state school for the deaf, the state
school for the blind, educational service districts, Bureau of
Indian Affairs funded schools, approved private schools,
colleges and universities shall establish written policies or
procedures to determine which employees are authorized to
access the data base. Access to the superintendent of public
instruction's record check data base shall be limited to:
(1) Employees of the superintendent of public instruction processing record check information including employees within the fingerprint records section, the office of professional practices, the legal services section, the certification section or their equivalents in case of future agency reorganization.
(2) Authorized employees of school districts.
(3) Authorized employees of educational service districts.
(4) Authorized employees of college or universities with state board of education approved certification programs.
(5) Authorized employees of the state school for the deaf.
(6) Authorized employees of the state school for the blind.
(7) Authorized employees of Bureau of Indian Affairs funded schools.
(8) Authorized employees of approved private schools.
(9) Other authorized individuals as determined by the superintendent of public instruction or designee.
Access to the data base will be controlled by a confidential password issued by the superintendent of public instruction.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.400.303, 28A.410.090. 07-19-012, § 392-300-050, filed 9/7/07, effective 10/8/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.290(1). 02-06-044, § 392-300-050, filed 2/27/02, effective 3/30/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.400.303, 28A.400.306, 28A.410.010 and 1996 c 126. 96-17-045 (Order 96-12), § 392-300-050, filed 8/19/96, effective 9/19/96.]
(1) Definitions of private school terms.
(a) "Subject individual" means: Any person, certified or classified employed by a private school in a position having regularly scheduled, unsupervised access to children;
(b) "Regularly scheduled, unsupervised access to children" means contact with students that provides the person opportunity and probability for personal communication or touch when not under direct supervision;
(c) "Fee" means the total charges assessed to process fingerprint cards through the Washington state patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation records check;
(d) "Information to be required" means all information requested by the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
(e) "Convictions of crimes" means, notwithstanding any other statutes or Washington administrative rule, conviction of a crime listed in WAC 180-86-013, or being under indictment for any of the crimes listed in WAC 180-86-013;
(f) "Private school" means a school that is approved with the Washington state board of education under chapter 180-90 WAC.
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall request criminal information from the Washington state patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the manner prescribed by law. A fee shall be charged for such services.
(3) Upon the private school's submission of the completed fingerprint cards and information form, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall review the criminal records of subject individual.
(4) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall not provide copies of criminal records to anyone except as provided by law. The private school will receive a copy of subject individual's record of arrest and prosecution (RAP) sheet from the Washington state patrol. The subject individual will be sent a copy of his or her personal criminal records.
(5) For the Federal Bureau of Investigation portion, the superintendent of public instruction or designee shall notify the private school if the subject individual has been convicted of a crime listed in WAC 180-86-013, or the substantial equivalent of any of those crimes if the conviction occurred in another jurisdiction or in Washington under a different statutory name or number; if the subject individual falsified information on the application form; or if the subject individual has no conviction of crimes as listed in WAC 180-86-013.
(6) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall assure the destruction of all fingerprint cards, facsimiles or other materials from which fingerprints can be reproduced used by Washington state patrol or Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(7) Only cards and forms approved by the office of the superintendent of public instruction will be accepted. The office of the superintendent of public instruction will hold fingerprint cards on file and notify the private school and subject individual when there is no fee, an incorrect fee, when necessary information is missing from the fingerprint cards, or the information form was not received.
(8) The office of the superintendent of public instruction will return to the private school any fingerprint cards that the Washington state patrol or Federal Bureau of Investigation rejects for poor quality prints. The private school will be responsible for having the subject individual submit additional prints as required.
(9) The superintendent's office shall maintain a record of all properly submitted fingerprint cards in the current records data base for a period of at least two years. The record shall include at least the following:
(a) Card sequence number;
(b) Name of private school submitting the cards;
(c) Date cards received at the Washington state patrol;
(d) Date letter regarding incomplete card was sent to the subject individual with a copy to the private school (only if applicable);
(e) Date Washington state patrol received fingerprint cards;
(f) Date private school was notified of Washington state patrol criminal history record or clearance;
(g) Date private school was notified of Federal Bureau of Investigation record or lack of record.
This WAC will remain in effect through June 30, 2011.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.400.303. 09-04-031, § 392-300-070, filed 1/29/09, effective 3/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.410.010, 28A.400.305. 00-21-077, § 392-300-070, filed 10/17/00, effective 11/17/00.]