§ 6-17-414 - Criminal records check as a condition for initial employment of nonlicensed personnel. - Arkansas Statutes

6-17-414. Criminal records check as a condition for initial employment of nonlicensed personnel.

(a) (1) (A) (i) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(1)(C) of this section, the board of directors of a local school district or an education service cooperative shall require as a condition for initial employment or noncontinuous reemployment in a nonlicensed staff position any person making application to apply to the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police for statewide and nationwide criminal records checks, the latter to be conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(ii) The checks shall conform to the applicable federal standards and shall include the taking of fingerprints.

(iii) The Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police may maintain these fingerprints in the automated fingerprint identification system.

(iv) The Federal Bureau of Investigation shall promptly destroy the fingerprint card of the applicant.

(B) The person shall sign a release of information to the Department of Education. Unless the employing school district board of directors has taken action to pay for the cost of criminal background checks required by this section, the employment applicant shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the criminal records checks.

(C) (i) The board of directors of a local school district created by consolidation, annexation, or detachment may waive the requirements under subdivisions (a)(1)(A) and (B) of this section for personnel who were employed by the affected district immediately prior to the annexation, consolidation, or detachment and who had complete criminal background checks conducted as a condition of the person's most recent employment with the affected district as required under this section.

(ii) As used in this section, "affected district" means a school district that loses territory or students as a result of annexation, consolidation, or detachment.

(2) Upon completion of the criminal records check, the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police shall forward all releasable information obtained concerning the person to the Department of Education, which shall promptly inform the board of directors of the local school district or education service cooperative whether or not the applicant is eligible for employment as provided by subsection (b) of this section.

(3) (A) A school district board of directors or an education service cooperative shall require as a condition for initial employment or noncontinuous reemployment of all nonlicensed personnel a Child Maltreatment Central Registry check by the Department of Human Services.

(B) The applicant shall sign a release of information to the Department of Education and shall be responsible for the payment of any fee associated with the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check.

(C) The Department of Human Services shall forward all releasable information concerning the applicant to the Department of Education upon completion of the Child Maltreatment Central Registry check.

(b) No person, including without limitation nonlicensed persons who provide services as a substitute teacher, shall be eligible for employment, whether initial employment, reemployment, or continued employment, by a local school district or education service cooperative in a nonlicensed staff position if that person has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry or has pled guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of any of the following offenses by any court in the State of Arkansas or of any similar offense by a court in another state or of any similar offense by a federal court:

(1) Capital murder as prohibited in 5-10-101;

(2) Murder in the first degree as prohibited in 5-10-102 and murder in the second degree as prohibited in 5-10-103;

(3) Manslaughter as prohibited in 5-10-104;

(4) Battery in the first degree as prohibited in 5-13-201 and battery in the second degree as prohibited in 5-13-202;

(5) Aggravated assault as prohibited in 5-13-204;

(6) Terroristic threatening in the first degree as prohibited in 5-13-301;

(7) Kidnapping as prohibited in 5-11-102;

(8) Rape as prohibited in 5-14-103;

(9) Sexual assault in the first degree, second degree, third degree, and fourth degree, as prohibited in 5-14-124 -- 5-14-127;

(10) Incest as prohibited in 5-26-202;

(11) Engaging children in sexually explicit conduct for use in visual or print media, transportation of minors for prohibited sexual conduct, employing or consenting to the use of a child in a sexual performance, or producing, directing, or promoting a sexual performance by a child as prohibited in 5-27-303, 5-27-305, 5-27-402, and 5-27-403;

(12) Distribution to minors as prohibited in 5-64-406;

(13) Any felony in violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, 5-64-101 et seq.;

(14) Criminal attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy as prohibited in 5-3-201, 5-3-202, 5-3-301, and 5-3-401, to commit any of the offenses listed in this subsection (b);

(15) Sexual indecency with a child as prohibited in 5-14-110;

(16) Endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree as prohibited in 5-27-205;

(17) Pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child as prohibited by 5-27-304;

(18) False imprisonment in the first degree as prohibited in 5-11-103;

(19) Permanent detention or restraint as prohibited in 5-11-106;

(20) Permitting abuse of a child as prohibited in 5-27-221(a);

(21) Negligent homicide as prohibited by 5-10-105(a);

(22) Assault in the first degree as prohibited by 5-13-205;

(23) Coercion as prohibited by 5-13-208;

(24) Public sexual indecency as prohibited by 5-14-111;

(25) Indecent exposure as prohibited by 5-14-112;

(26) Endangering the welfare of a minor in the second degree as prohibited by 5-27-206;

(27) Computer child pornography as prohibited in 5-27-603;

(28) Computer exploitation of a child in the first degree as prohibited in 5-27-605;

(29) Felony theft as prohibited in 5-36-103 -- 5-36-106 and 5-36-203;

(30) Robbery as prohibited by 5-12-102 and 5-12-103;

(31) Breaking or entering as prohibited by 5-39-202;

(32) Burglary as prohibited by 5-39-201 and aggravated residential burglary as prohibited by 5-39-204;

(33) Forgery as prohibited by 5-37-201; and

(34) Any felony not listed in this subsection (b) and involving physical or sexual injury, mistreatment, or abuse against another.

(c) However, the board of directors of a local school district or education service cooperative is authorized to offer provisional employment to an applicant pending receipt of eligibility information from the Department of Education.

(d) (1) Any information received by the Department of Education from the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police or the Department of Human Services pursuant to this section shall not be available for examination except by the affected applicant for employment or his or her duly authorized representative, and no record, file, or document shall be removed from the custody of the Department of Education.

(2) Any information made available to the affected applicant for employment shall be information pertaining to that applicant only.

(3) Rights of privilege and confidentiality established under this section shall not extend to any document created for purposes other than this background check.

(e) The State Board of Education shall determine that an applicant for employment with a school district in a nonlicensed staff position is ineligible for employment if the applicant:

(1) Is required to pass an examination as a requirement of his or her position and the applicant's completed examination test score was declared invalid because of the applicant's improper conduct;

(2) Has an expunged or a pardoned conviction for any sexual or physical abuse offense committed against a child or any offense listed in subsection (b) of this section;

(3) Knowingly submits or provides false or misleading information or knowingly fails to submit or provide information requested or required by law to the Department of Education, the state board, or the Division of Legislative Audit;

(4) Knowingly falsifies or directs another to falsify any grade given to a student, whether the grade was given for an individual assignment or examination or at the conclusion of a regular grading period; or

(5) Has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry.

(f) (1) The superintendent of each school district shall report to the state board the name of any person currently employed by the local school district who:

(A) Has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of a felony or any misdemeanor listed in subsection (b) of this section;

(B) Has intentionally compromised the validity or security of any student test or testing program administered or required by the Department of Education;

(C) Has knowingly submitted falsified information or failed to submit information requested or required by law to the Department of Education, the state board, or the division; or

(D) Has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry.

(2) The failure of a superintendent to report information as required by this subsection (f) may result in sanctions imposed by the state board.

(g) (1) If an applicant for employment with a school district has been determined ineligible for employment because the applicant has a true report in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry, the local school board of directors shall provide a written notice to the applicant and shall afford the applicant the opportunity to request a waiver.

(2) The waiver shall be requested no more than thirty (30) days after receipt of the notice of the denial of employment.

(3) The waiver may be requested by:

(A) The hiring official;

(B) The affected applicant; or

(C) The person subject to dismissal.

(4) Circumstances for which a waiver may be granted shall include without limitation the following:

(A) The age at which the incident was committed;

(B) The circumstances surrounding the incident;

(C) The length of time since the incident;

(D) Subsequent work history;

(E) Employment references;

(F) Character references; and

(G) Other evidence demonstrating that the applicant does not pose a threat to the health or safety of school children or school personnel.