The bill amends Section 40.1-25.1-3 of the General Laws regarding the criminal records check requirement for employees in programs operated by the department involving routine contact with patients, residents, or clients without the presence of other employees. It introduces the option for applicants to apply for a national criminal records check through a qualified vendor, in addition to the existing options of the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or local police department. The bill eliminates the previous stipulation that only organizations employing 250 or more employees were required to conduct these checks, thereby broadening the scope of the requirement to include smaller organizations.

The act does not mandate that criminal records checks be conducted every five years for continuous employment, nor does it specify that employers must maintain evidence of these checks on file. If disqualifying information is found, both the employer and the applicant will be notified, while the nature of the disqualifying information will remain confidential. The responsibility for conducting the national criminal records check is placed on a qualified vendor, and the previous requirement for organizations with 250 or more employees to cover the costs associated with these checks has been removed. The act will take effect upon passage.