This bill mandates that all youth serving organizations, including sports teams, leagues, and any entity providing recreational or cultural activities for individuals under 18, must conduct criminal history record background checks on their employees, volunteers, and organizers at least once a year. The definition of a youth serving organization has been expanded to include both nonprofit and for-profit entities. The bill stipulates that individuals who have undergone a criminal history background check through recognized national or international athletic associations within the same calendar year are exempt from additional checks. Furthermore, the Attorney General is tasked with reporting the results of these background checks to the respective organizations.

To enforce compliance, the bill introduces civil penalties for organizations that fail to request the required background checks, with fines escalating from $500 for a first offense to $1,000 for subsequent offenses. It also establishes criminal liability for employees or volunteers who knowingly participate in a youth serving organization despite being disqualified due to their criminal history, as well as for organizers who ignore or fail to obtain necessary background checks. Additionally, the Attorney General is required to conduct an audit of the background check process within three years of the bill's enactment, with findings to be reported to the Governor and Legislature.

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