HB3977 93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB093 14762 LRD 40311 b

93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB3977

Introduced 12/30/2003, by Careen Gordon - John A. Fritchey - William Davis - Kenneth Dunkin, Steve Davis, et al.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 2605/2605-325	was 20 ILCS 2605/55a in part
105 ILCS 5/10-21.9	from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9
105 ILCS 5/34-18.5	from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5
30 ILCS 805/8.28 new

Amends the School Code and the Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. In provisions requiring an applicant for employment with a school district to undergo a criminal background investigation, requires that the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database be searched (now requires only the Illinois criminal history records database to be searched). Makes related changes. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning schools.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing Section 2605-325 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2605/2605-325) (was 20 ILCS 2605/55a in part)

Sec. 2605-325. Conviction information for school board or regional superintendent. On request of a school board or regional superintendent of schools, to conduct an investigation inquiry pursuant to Section 10-21.9 or 34-18.5 of the School Code to ascertain whether an applicant for employment in a school district has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit a of any criminal or drug offense specified offenses enumerated in Section 10-21.9 or 34-18.5 of the School Code. The Department shall furnish the conviction information to the president of the school board of the school district that has requested the information or, if the information was requested by the regional superintendent, to that regional superintendent.

(Source: P.A. 90-18, eff. 7-1-97; 90-130, eff. 1-1-98; 90-372, eff. 7-1-98; 90-590, eff. 1-1-00; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 90-793, eff. 8-14-98; 91-239, eff. 1-1-00.)

Section 10. The School Code is amended by changing Sections 10-21.9 and 34-18.5 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/10-21.9) (from Ch. 122, par. 10-21.9)

Sec. 10-21.9. Criminal background investigations.

(a) After August 1, 1985, certified and noncertified applicants for employment with a school district, except school bus driver applicants, are required as a condition of employment to authorize an investigation to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the investigation shall be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school district, a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one school district (as a reading specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one district, any such district may require the applicant to furnish authorization for the investigation to the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which are located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth and social security number to the Department of State Police on forms prescribed by the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the requisite information to the Department of State Police shall promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee that the investigation of the applicant has been requested. The Department of State Police shall conduct a search of the Illinois criminal history records database and have a search of the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database conducted to ascertain if the applicant being considered for employment has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The Department shall charge the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such investigation, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the investigation inquiry; and the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such investigation by the school district or by the regional superintendent. The regional superintendent may seek reimbursement from the State Board of Education or the appropriate school district or districts for fees paid by the regional superintendent to the Department for the criminal background investigations required by this Section.

(b) If the search of the Illinois and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases database indicates that the applicant has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years before the application for employment with the school district, any other felony under the laws of this State, the Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint based background check, records of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the school board for the school district which requested the investigation, or to the regional superintendent who requested the investigation. Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the school board or the regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to the superintendent of the school district or his designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the investigation was requested by the school district, the presidents of the appropriate school boards if the investigation was requested from the Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police or Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be provided to the applicant for employment. If an investigation of an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one school district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the Department of State Police upon investigation ascertains that the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so notifies the regional superintendent, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The school board of any school district located in the educational service region served by the regional superintendent who issues such a certificate to an applicant for employment as a substitute teacher in more than one such district may rely on the certificate issued by the regional superintendent to that applicant, or may initiate its own investigation of the applicant through the Department of State Police as provided in subsection (a). Any person who releases any confidential information concerning any criminal convictions of an applicant for employment shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of such information is authorized by this Section.

(c) No school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been convicted for committing attempted first degree murder or for committing or attempting to commit first degree murder or a Class X felony or any one or more of the following offenses: (i) those defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1, 11-21, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15 and 12-16 of the "Criminal Code of 1961"; (ii) those defined in the "Cannabis Control Act" except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b) and 5(a) of that Act; (iii) those defined in the "Illinois Controlled Substances Act"; and (iv) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. Further, no school board shall knowingly employ a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(d) No school board shall knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal background investigation has not been initiated.

(e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School Code, the appropriate regional superintendent of schools or the State Superintendent of Education shall initiate the certificate suspension and revocation proceedings authorized by law.

(f) After January 1, 1990 the provisions of this Section shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with any school district including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of criminal background investigations on employees of persons or firms holding contracts with more than one school district and assigned to more than one school district, the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which the contracting school districts are located may, at the request of any such school district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for investigation prepared by each such employee and submitting the same to the Department of State Police. Any information concerning the record of conviction of any such employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school board or school boards.

(Source: P.A. 93-418, eff. 1-1-04.)

(105 ILCS 5/34-18.5) (from Ch. 122, par. 34-18.5)

Sec. 34-18.5. Criminal background investigations.

(a) After August 1, 1985, certified and noncertified applicants for employment with the school district are required as a condition of employment to authorize an investigation to determine if such applicants have been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of this Section or have been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. Authorization for the investigation shall be furnished by the applicant to the school district, except that if the applicant is a substitute teacher seeking employment in more than one school district, or a teacher seeking concurrent part-time employment positions with more than one school district (as a reading specialist, special education teacher or otherwise), or an educational support personnel employee seeking employment positions with more than one district, any such district may require the applicant to furnish authorization for the investigation to the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which are located the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee. Upon receipt of this authorization, the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent, as the case may be, shall submit the applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth and social security number to the Department of State Police on forms prescribed by the Department. The regional superintendent submitting the requisite information to the Department of State Police shall promptly notify the school districts in which the applicant is seeking employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee that the investigation of the applicant has been requested. The Department of State Police shall conduct a search of the Illinois criminal history record information database and have a search of the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records database conducted to ascertain if the applicant being considered for employment has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, any other felony under the laws of this State or any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The Department shall charge the school district or the appropriate regional superintendent a fee for conducting such investigation, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the investigation inquiry; and the applicant shall not be charged a fee for such investigation by the school district or by the regional superintendent. The regional superintendent may seek reimbursement from the State Board of Education or the appropriate school district or districts for fees paid by the regional superintendent to the Department for the criminal background investigations required by this Section.

(b) If the search of the Illinois and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases database indicates that the applicant has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, any other felony under the laws of this State, the Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to a fingerprint based background check, records of convictions, until expunged, to the president of the board of education for the school district which requested the investigation, or to the regional superintendent who requested the investigation. Any information concerning the record of convictions obtained by the president of the board of education or the regional superintendent shall be confidential and may only be transmitted to the general superintendent of the school district or his designee, the appropriate regional superintendent if the investigation was requested by the board of education for the school district, the presidents of the appropriate board of education or school boards if the investigation was requested from the Department of State Police by the regional superintendent, the State Superintendent of Education, the State Teacher Certification Board or any other person necessary to the decision of hiring the applicant for employment. A copy of the record of convictions obtained from the Department of State Police or Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be provided to the applicant for employment. If an investigation of an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one school district was requested by the regional superintendent, and the Department of State Police upon investigation ascertains that the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State and so notifies the regional superintendent, then the regional superintendent shall issue to the applicant a certificate evidencing that as of the date specified by the Department of State Police the applicant has not been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or has not been convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the school district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State. The school board of any school district located in the educational service region served by the regional superintendent who issues such a certificate to an applicant for employment as a substitute or concurrent part-time teacher or concurrent educational support personnel employee in more than one such district may rely on the certificate issued by the regional superintendent to that applicant, or may initiate its own investigation of the applicant through the Department of State Police as provided in subsection (a). Any person who releases any confidential information concerning any criminal convictions of an applicant for employment shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of such information is authorized by this Section.

(c) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a person who has been convicted for committing attempted first degree murder or for committing or attempting to commit first degree murder or a Class X felony or any one or more of the following offenses: (i) those defined in Sections 11-6, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2, 11-20, 11-20.1, 11-21, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15 and 12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961; (ii) those defined in the Cannabis Control Act, except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b) and 5(a) of that Act; (iii) those defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act; and (iv) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. Further, the board of education shall not knowingly employ a person who has been found to be the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(d) The board of education shall not knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal background investigation has not been initiated.

(e) Upon receipt of the record of a conviction of or a finding of child abuse by a holder of any certificate issued pursuant to Article 21 or Section 34-8.1 or 34-83 of the School Code, the board of education or the State Superintendent of Education shall initiate the certificate suspension and revocation proceedings authorized by law.

(f) After March 19, 1990, the provisions of this Section shall apply to all employees of persons or firms holding contracts with any school district including, but not limited to, food service workers, school bus drivers and other transportation employees, who have direct, daily contact with the pupils of any school in such district. For purposes of criminal background investigations on employees of persons or firms holding contracts with more than one school district and assigned to more than one school district, the regional superintendent of the educational service region in which the contracting school districts are located may, at the request of any such school district, be responsible for receiving the authorization for investigation prepared by each such employee and submitting the same to the Department of State Police. Any information concerning the record of conviction of any such employee obtained by the regional superintendent shall be promptly reported to the president of the appropriate school board or school boards.

(Source: P.A. 93-418, eff. 1-1-04.)

Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding Section 8.28 as follows:

(30 ILCS 805/8.28 new)

Sec. 8.28. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and 8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.