093_HB2471 LRB093 07753 BDD 11664 b 1 AN ACT concerning the public welfare and safety. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 3. The Park District Code is amended by changing 5 Section 8-23 as follows: 6 (70 ILCS 1205/8-23) 7 Sec. 8-23. Criminal background investigations. 8 (a) An applicant for employment with a park district is 9 required as a condition of employment to authorize an 10 investigation to determine if the applicant has been 11 convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses 12 in subsection (c) of this Section or has been convicted, 13 within 7 years of the application for employment with the 14 park district, of any other felony under the laws of this 15 State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other 16 state or against the laws of the United States that, if 17 committed or attempted in this State, would have been 18 punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. 19 Authorization for the investigation shall be furnished by the 20 applicant to the park district. Upon receipt of this 21 authorization, the park district shall submit the applicant's 22 name, sex, race, date of birth, and social security number to 23 the Department of State Police on forms prescribed by the 24 Department of State Police. Upon submission the Department 25 of State Police shall conduct an investigation to ascertain 26 if the applicant being considered for employment has been 27 convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses 28 in subsection (c) of this Section or has been convicted, 29 within 7 years of the application for employment with the 30 park district, of any other felony under the laws of this 31 State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other -2- LRB093 07753 BDD 11664 b 1 state or against the laws of the United States that, if 2 committed or attempted in this State, would have been 3 punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The 4 Department of State Police shall charge the park district a 5 fee for conducting the investigation, which fee shall be 6 deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not 7 exceed the cost of the inquiry. The applicant shall not be 8 charged a fee by the park district for the investigation. 9 (b) The Department of State Police shall furnish, 10 pursuant to positive identification, records of convictions, 11 until expunged, to the president of the park district or his 12 or her designee. Any information concerning the record of 13 convictions obtained by the president or his or her designee 14 shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to those 15 persons who are necessary to the decision on whether to hire 16 the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of 17 convictions obtained from the Department of State Police 18 shall be provided to the applicant for employment. Any 19 person who releases any confidential information concerning 20 any criminal convictions of an applicant for employment shall 21 be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of 22 such information is authorized by this Section. 23 (c) No park district that has authorized an 24 investigation shall knowingly employ a person who has been 25 convicted for committing attempted first degree murder or for 26 committing or attempting to commit first degree murder, a 27 Class X felony, or any one or more of the following offenses: 28 (i) those defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 29 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 30 11-20.1, 11-21, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, and 12-16 of 31 the Criminal Code of 1961; (ii) those defined in the Cannabis 32 Control Act, except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b), and 33 5(a) of that Act; (iii) those defined in the Illinois 34 Controlled Substances Act; and (iv) any offense committed or -3- LRB093 07753 BDD 11664 b 1 attempted in any other state or against the laws of the 2 United States, which, if committed or attempted in this 3 State, would have been punishable as one or more of the 4 foregoing offenses. Further, no park district that has 5 authorized an investigation shall knowingly employ a person 6 who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or 7 physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to 8 proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 9 1987. In no event is a park district required to conduct an 10 investigation on any individual who is (1) under 17 years of 11 age or (2) an employee rehired within an 18-month period upon 12 whom an investigation has been previously conducted.No park13district shall knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal14background investigation has not been initiated.15 (Source: P.A. 91-885, eff. 7-6-00.)". 16 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 17 becoming law.