This bill mandates that nonpublic schools and education service providers that accept public funds must conduct criminal history background checks for all employees and volunteers. Specifically, it introduces new legal language requiring compliance with these background checks under RSA 189:13-a for any individual providing in-person instruction. The bill amends several sections of existing law, including RSA 21-N, RSA 77-G, and RSA 193-E, to incorporate these requirements, ensuring that entities contracted for educational services and those accepting scholarship students adhere to the same standards for background checks.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that nonpublic schools or home education programs that comply with these criminal history background checks will not be considered agents of the state or federal government due to their participation in scholarship programs. The effective date for this act is set for 60 days after its passage. The fiscal impact of the bill is currently indeterminable, as the Department of Education anticipates potential increases in costs associated with implementing these background checks, but cannot provide a specific estimate at this time.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 77-G:7, 77-G:9, 193-E:2-a, 194-F:6