This bill establishes the Youth Serving Organization Central Registry, which will serve as a centralized system for conducting and disseminating criminal history record background checks for employees and volunteers of youth serving organizations. The bill amends existing law to define a youth serving organization as any sports team, league, athletic association, or similar entity that provides activities or services for individuals under 18 years of age, excluding public and nonpublic schools. To participate in the central registry, organizations must register with the Department of Law and Public Safety and pay a registration fee. The central registry will request background checks through the State Bureau of Identification, which will examine its own files and coordinate with federal authorities.

The bill also mandates that each current employee or volunteer undergo a criminal history record background check at least once every two years. It retains the existing disqualification criteria for individuals with certain criminal convictions, including those involving danger to persons, family, or theft, and requires the Attorney General to adopt regulations for uniform disqualification criteria. The central registry will maintain records of the qualification status of employees and volunteers, allowing participating organizations to verify this status through a secure website or by phone. The costs of the background checks will be borne by the prospective or current employees or volunteers, with fees not exceeding the actual cost of the checks.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 15A:3A-1, 15A:3A-2, 15A:3A-3, 15A:3A-4, 15A:3A-5