The bill amends Section 40.1-25.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 40.1-25.1, titled "Employee Criminal Records Check," to include a provision that allows applicants for employment in facilities or programs licensed or operated by the department to apply to a qualified vendor for a nationwide criminal records check. This is in addition to the existing options of applying to the bureau of criminal identification of the state police, the local police department, or, for organizations with 250 or more employees, the office of the attorney general. The bill specifies that the criminal records checks must conform to state and federal standards, including fingerprinting, and must be conducted every five years of continuous employment.

The bill also outlines the process for handling disqualifying information found during the criminal records check. If disqualifying information is found, the relevant authority will inform the employer without disclosing the nature of the information and will also inform the applicant of the specific disqualifying information. If no disqualifying information is found, both the applicant and employer will be notified. Employers are required to maintain evidence of initiated criminal records checks and their results on file, and failure to do so may result in revocation of their license or certification. The bill states that the expense associated with obtaining the criminal records check for organizations with 250 or more employees will be paid by the organization requiring the check. The act will take effect upon passage.