2022 -- H 8132

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LC004916

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Shallcross Smith, Hull, Bennett, Biah, Ranglin-Vassell,
and Noret

     Date Introduced: April 13, 2022

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 16-2-18.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-2 entitled "School

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Committees and Superintendents [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education

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Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-2-18.1. Criminal records review.

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     (a)(1) Any person seeking employment with a private school or public school department

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who has not previously been employed by a private school or public school department in Rhode

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Island during the past twelve (12) months shall undergo a national and state criminal background

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check to be initiated prior to, or within one week of, employment after receiving a conditional offer

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of employment; provided, however, that employees hired prior to August 1, 2001, and or who have

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been continuously employed by a public school department in Rhode Island during the past twelve

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(12) months shall be exempt from the requirements of this section and § 16-2-18.2.

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     (2) Any person teaching or instructing children under the age of eighteen (18) years old,

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either as a volunteer or for compensation, who teaches or provides educational, athletic or coaching

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services and the like and is not covered by subsection (a)(1) of this section, including, but not

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limited to, music/art teachers, tutors, coaches or other instructors and any person involved in an

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oversight setting or event involving children, shall be required to comply with the provisions of §

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40-13.2-5.1 regarding a criminal background check.

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     (b) The applicant shall apply to the bureau of criminal identification (BCI), department of

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attorney general, state police, or local police department where they reside, for a national and state

 

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criminal records check. Fingerprinting shall be required. Upon the discovery of any disqualifying

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information, the bureau of criminal identification, state police or local police department will

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inform the applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information; and, without

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disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information, will notify the employer, in writing, that

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disqualifying information has been discovered.

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     (c) An employee against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that

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a copy of the criminal background report be sent to the employer who shall make a judgment

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regarding the employment of the employee.

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     (d) In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been found, the bureau of

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criminal identification, state police, or local police department shall inform the applicant and the

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employer, in writing, of this fact.

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     (e) For purposes of this section:

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     (1) "Disqualifying information" means those offenses listed in §§ 23-17-37, 11-37-8.1, 11-

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37-8.3, 11-9-1(b), 11-9-1(c), 11-9-1.3; and

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     (2) "Employment" means those individuals hired directly by the private school or public

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school department, contractual employees of the private school or public school department, and

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those individuals, who may have direct or unmonitored contact with children or students, who are

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hired by a third party who or that has contracted with the private school or public school department

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to provide services.

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     (f) The employer shall maintain on file, subject to inspection by the department of

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elementary and secondary education, evidence that criminal records checks have been initiated on

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all employees seeking employment subsequent to July 13, 1998, and the results of the checks. The

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applicant shall be responsible for the costs of the national and state criminal records check.

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     (g) At the conclusion of the criminal background check required in this section, the attorney

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general, state police, or local police department shall promptly destroy the fingerprint record of the

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applicant obtained pursuant to this chapter.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND SUPERINTENDENTS

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     This act would require individuals teaching, instructing or providing educational, athletic

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or coaching services to a child, as a volunteer or for compensation, including, but not limited to,

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music/art teachers, tutors, coaches or other instructors, and any individual involved in an overnight

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setting or event including children, to comply with the criminal records review process for

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employees of a youth-serving agency contained in § 40-13.2-5.1.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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