68-11-234 - Criminal background checks for child care center employees. - Tennessee Statutes

68-11-234. Criminal background checks for child care center employees.

(a)  All “prescribed child care centers” as defined in § 68-11-201 shall initiate a criminal background check on any person who is employed by or who wishes to volunteer in a capacity that involves providing direct care to a child, prior to or within seven (7) days of employment or provision of services. Any person who applies for employment in a position or who wishes to volunteer in a capacity that involves providing direct care to a child in such a facility shall consent to any or all of the following:

     (1)  Provide past work and personal references to be checked by the prescribed child care center;

     (2)  Agree to the release of any and all information and investigative records to the prescribed child care center or its agent, or to any agency that contracts with the state of Tennessee necessary for the purpose of verifying whether the individual has been convicted of a felony in the state of Tennessee;

     (3)  Supply a fingerprint sample and submit to a criminal history records check to be conducted by the Tennessee bureau of investigation, other law enforcement agency, or any legally authorized entity; or

     (4)  Release any information required for a criminal background investigation by a professional background screening organization or criminal background check service or registry.

(b)  Any costs incurred by the Tennessee bureau of investigation, professional background screening organization, law enforcement agency or other legally authorized entity, in conducting investigations of such applicants or volunteers may be paid by the prescribed child care center, or any agency that contracts with the state of Tennessee requesting such investigation and information, or the individual who seeks employment or is employed or volunteers. Payments of such costs to the Tennessee bureau of investigation are to be made in accordance with the provisions of §§ 38-6-103 and 38-6-109.

(c)  A prescribed child care center that declines to employ or terminates a person based upon information provided to the facility under this section shall be immune from suit by or on behalf of that person for the termination of or the refusal to employ that person.

[Acts 2000, ch. 981, § 95.]