Bill Text: NH HB355 | 2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relative to criminal record checks in adoption proceedings and foster family home licensing.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-19 - Signed by Governor Sununu 06/16/2017; Chapter 136; Eff. 6/16/2017 [HB355 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2017-HB355-Introduced.html
HB 355-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2017 SESSION
17-0281
05/01
HOUSE BILL 355-FN
AN ACT relative to criminal record checks in adoption proceedings and foster family home licensing.
SPONSORS: Rep. Berrien, Rock. 18; Rep. LeBrun, Hills. 32; Rep. Guthrie, Rock. 13; Rep. P. Long, Hills. 10; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5
COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill requires the adoption and foster family home licensing process to include a fingerprint-based criminal records check of any adult living in the home.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
17-0281
05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen
AN ACT relative to criminal record checks in adoption proceedings and foster family home licensing.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Adoption; Assessment. Amend RSA 170-B:18, VII to read as follows:
VII. The court shall require a background check in all adoption proceedings initiated by the department or by another child placing agency. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adult living in the home.
(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective adoptive parents' fingerprints and the fingerprint of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.
(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.
2 Child Day Care and Child-Placing Agencies; State Registry and Criminal Records Check for Foster Family Home. Amend RSA 170-E:29, II-a to read as follows:
II-a. In the case of an initial application for a foster family home, the department shall conduct a background check of the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for the prospective foster parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home.
(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective foster parents' fingerprints and the fingerprints of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.
(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective foster parents or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
17-0281
1/4/17
HB 355-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to criminal record checks in adoption proceedings and foster family home licensing.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Legislative Budget Assistant has determined that this legislation has a total fiscal impact of less than $10,000 in each of the fiscal years 2018 through 2021.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Safety
