This bill amends the procedures for conducting criminal history records checks for school bus drivers and expands the scope to include designated volunteers and contracted service providers. The new legal language specifies that the Department of Education is responsible for completing these checks, which will now require fingerprinting and a criminal history records release form. The bill mandates that the criminal history record check clearance will be valid for five years and establishes a secure system for conducting checks through the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) database.

Additionally, the bill outlines disqualifying offenses that would prevent individuals from being employed or contracted in public educational settings, including serious drug-related charges and offenses involving children. It also stipulates that the Department of Education must maintain confidentiality regarding the records and destroy the information within 60 days of receipt. Furthermore, the department is tasked with adopting rules governing the rights of personnel to appeal any denials of clearance based on criminal history. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 106-B:18-b