The bill amends existing laws regarding criminal history records checks for employees of service providers in Arkansas. It introduces provisions that allow third-party employee evaluation services to conduct these checks and expands the definition of "employee" to include independent contractors who provide care to clients of service providers. The bill also stipulates that service providers must inform applicants that employment or contractual engagement is contingent upon satisfactory results from criminal history checks. Additionally, it allows for conditional employment pending the results of these checks and mandates periodic checks for all employees at least once every five years.

Key amendments include the addition of definitions for "third-party employee evaluation service" and the inclusion of independent contractors in the employment definition. The bill also modifies the conditions under which a person may be disqualified from employment based on their criminal history, allowing for certain waivers and specifying that service providers must maintain documentation of compliance with these regulations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the confidentiality of the reports obtained through these checks, restricting access to authorized agencies and ensuring that the information is not disclosed without a court order.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1454 V2 - 4-3-2025 04:29 PM: 20-38-101, 04-03-2025, 20-78-202, 20-78-209, 20-10-801, 20-7-117, 20-10-702, 20-10-1202, 20-38-103(a), 20-38-103(b), 20-38-103(c), 20-38-103(d), 20-38-105(a), 20-38-105(d), 20-38-105(e), 20-38-106, 20-38-110, 25-19-101, 20-38-112(e)
Old version HB1454 Original - 2-11-2025 02:18 PM: 20-38-101, 20-78-202, 20-78-209, 20-10-801, 20-7-117, 20-10-702, 20-10-1202, 20-38-103(a), 20-38-103(b), 20-38-103(c), 20-38-103(d), 20-38-105(a), 20-38-105(d), 20-38-105(e), 20-38-106, 20-38-110, 25-19-101, 20-38-112(e)
HB 1454: 20-38-101, 20-78-202, 20-78-209, 20-10-801, 20-7-117, 20-10-702, 20-10-1202, 20-38-103(a), 20-38-103(b), 20-38-103(c), 20-38-103(d), 20-38-105(a), 20-38-105(d), 20-38-105(e), 20-38-106, 20-38-110, 25-19-101, 20-38-112(e)
Act 674: 20-38-101, 04-03-2025, 20-78-202, 20-78-209, 20-10-801, 20-7-117, 20-10-702, 20-10-1202, 20-38-103(a), 20-38-103(b), 20-38-103(c), 20-38-103(d), 20-38-105(a), 20-38-105(d), 20-38-105(e), 20-38-106, 20-38-110, 25-19-101, 20-38-112(e)