Senate Bill No. 288, introduced by Senator Reese, amends several provisions related to criminal history background checks in Louisiana. The bill clarifies that the Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners is entitled to access criminal history records for individuals seeking licensure, while removing the requirement for applicants to be registered. It also repeals the requirement for applicants to be fingerprinted for employment checks, although employers can still obtain conviction records with the applicant's consent. Additionally, the bill mandates that institutions of postsecondary education receive both state and national criminal history record information when conducting background checks.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a provision allowing the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information to provide expunged criminal history record information to public qualified entities at its discretion, provided there is strong evidence that such information is necessary to protect vulnerable populations, such as children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities. However, private qualified entities are explicitly prohibited from receiving this expunged information. The changes outlined in the bill are set to take effect on August 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
SB288 Original: 15:587(A)(1), 15:2(B), 15:7(B)(3)