The bill amends existing laws regarding criminal history records checks for employees of service providers in Arkansas. It allows 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 is contingent on satisfactory criminal history records checks and allows for conditional employment pending these checks. Additionally, it mandates that service providers conduct periodic checks on employees at least once every five years.

Key changes include the introduction of a new definition for "third-party employee evaluation service," which is an independent entity authorized to perform criminal history checks. The bill also modifies various sections to clarify that both employment and contractual engagements are subject to these checks, and it outlines the conditions under which individuals may be disqualified from employment based on their criminal history. Furthermore, it emphasizes the confidentiality of the reports generated from these checks, restricting access to authorized agencies and ensuring compliance with privacy laws.

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)