Bill Text: NY S04357 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to the fingerprinting and background checks of contracted service providers of student support services.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO EDUCATION [S04357 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04357-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4357--A

                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                     March 11, 2019
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sens. STAVISKY, AMEDORE, BIAGGI, MONTGOMERY, RANZENHOFER,
          SAVINO, SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed  to
          be  committed  to  the Committee on Children and Families -- committee
          discharged and said bill committed to the Committee  on  Education  --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to background checks  and
          fingerprinting;  and  to amend the social services law, in relation to
          statewide central registry clearances by contracted service  providers
          of student support services

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 1125  of  the  education  law,  as
     2  amended  by  chapter  363  of  the  laws  of 2018, is amended to read as
     3  follows:
     4    3. "Employee" shall mean any person: (i) who is receiving compensation
     5  from a school or (ii) whose duties involve direct  student  contact  and
     6  (a)  who  is  receiving  compensation  from  any  person  or entity that
     7  contracts with a school to provide transportation services to  children,
     8  or  (b)  who  is  an employee of a contracted service provider or worker
     9  placed within the school under a public assistance  employment  program,
    10  pursuant  to title nine-B of article five of the social services law, or
    11  (c) who is  receiving  compensation  from  any  person  or  entity  that
    12  contracts  with  a  school  to  provide  student  support  services, and
    13  consistent with the provisions  of  such  title  for  the  provision  of
    14  services  to such school, its students or employees, directly or through
    15  contract.
    16    § 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 30 of section 305 of  the  education
    17  law,  as  amended by chapter 630 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read
    18  as follows:

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07679-08-9

        S. 4357--A                          2

     1    (a) The commissioner, in cooperation with  the  division  of  criminal
     2  justice  services  and  in  accordance with all applicable provisions of
     3  law, shall promulgate rules and regulations to require the  fingerprint-
     4  ing of prospective employees, as defined in section eleven hundred twen-
     5  ty-five  of  this  chapter,  of school districts, charter schools [and],
     6  boards  of  cooperative  educational  services  and  contracted  service
     7  providers of student support services and authorizing the fingerprinting
     8  of prospective employees of nonpublic and private elementary and second-
     9  ary schools, and for the use of information derived from searches of the
    10  records  of  the  division  of criminal justice services and the federal
    11  bureau of investigation based on  the  use  of  such  fingerprints.  The
    12  commissioner  shall  also  develop  a  form for use by school districts,
    13  charter schools, boards of cooperative educational services,  contracted
    14  service providers of student support services, and nonpublic and private
    15  elementary  and  secondary  schools in connection with the submission of
    16  fingerprints that contains the specific job title sought and  any  other
    17  information that may be relevant to consideration of the applicant.  The
    18  commissioner  shall  also create or expand the functionality of internet
    19  based systems to provide  access  to  contracted  service  providers  of
    20  student  support  services  upon  application  of the contracted service
    21  provider of student support services to the commissioner to enable  them
    22  to be able to review fingerprint results and subsequent arrest notifica-
    23  tions based on the fingerprint and background check data by logging into
    24  a protected web portal, entering in the employee name and social securi-
    25  ty  number,  which  would provide access to see the fingerprint results.
    26  The commissioner shall also establish a  form  for  the  recordation  of
    27  allegations of child abuse in an educational setting, as required pursu-
    28  ant  to section eleven hundred twenty-six of this chapter. No person who
    29  has been fingerprinted pursuant to section three thousand four-b of this
    30  chapter or pursuant to section five hundred nine-cc  or  twelve  hundred
    31  twenty-nine-d  of  the  vehicle  and  traffic law and whose fingerprints
    32  remain on file with the division of criminal justice services  shall  be
    33  required to undergo fingerprinting for purposes of a new criminal histo-
    34  ry  record check. This subdivision and the rules and regulations promul-
    35  gated pursuant thereto shall not apply to a  school  district  within  a
    36  city with a population of one million or more.
    37    §  3.  The  opening  paragraph  of  paragraph (b) of subdivision 30 of
    38  section 305 of the education law, as amended by chapter 630 of the  laws
    39  of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    40    The commissioner, in cooperation with the division of criminal justice
    41  services, shall promulgate a form to be provided to all such prospective
    42  employees  of  school  districts, charter schools, boards of cooperative
    43  educational services, contracted service providers  of  student  support
    44  services and nonpublic and private elementary and secondary schools that
    45  elect  to  fingerprint and seek clearance for prospective employees that
    46  shall:
    47    § 4. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 30 of section 305 of  the  education
    48  law,  as  amended by chapter 630 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read
    49  as follows:
    50    (d) The commissioner shall develop forms to be provided to all  school
    51  districts,  charter schools, boards of cooperative educational services,
    52  contracted service providers of student  support  services  and  to  all
    53  nonpublic  and  private  elementary  and secondary schools that elect to
    54  fingerprint their prospective employees, to be completed and  signed  by
    55  prospective  employees  when conditional appointment or emergency condi-
    56  tional appointment is offered.

        S. 4357--A                          3

     1    § 5. Subdivision 31 of section 305 of the education law, as  added  by
     2  chapter 380 of the laws of 2001, is amended to read as follows:
     3    31.  The  commissioner shall direct that each school district, charter
     4  school, [and] private elementary and secondary  school,  and  contracted
     5  service provider of student support services appoint a designated educa-
     6  tional  official  for  the  purposes  set forth in section 380.90 of the
     7  criminal procedure law,  subdivision  seventeen  of  section  301.2  and
     8  subdivision three of section 380.1 of the family court act. In addition,
     9  the commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations, in consultation
    10  with the office of court administration, to facilitate electronic access
    11  by  the courts to the names and addresses of such designated educational
    12  officials.
    13    § 6. Subdivision 1 of section 3035 of the education law, as amended by
    14  chapter 630 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    15    1. The commissioner shall submit to the division of  criminal  justice
    16  services two sets of fingerprints of prospective employees as defined in
    17  subdivision  three of section eleven hundred twenty-five of this chapter
    18  received from a school district, charter school or board of  cooperative
    19  educational  services,  contracted  service providers of student support
    20  services and  of  prospective  employees  received  from  nonpublic  and
    21  private  elementary  and secondary schools pursuant to title two of this
    22  chapter, and the division of criminal justice  services  processing  fee
    23  imposed  pursuant  to subdivision eight-a of section eight hundred thir-
    24  ty-seven of the executive law and any fee imposed by the federal  bureau
    25  of  investigation.    The  division of criminal justice services and the
    26  federal bureau of investigation  shall  forward  such  criminal  history
    27  record  to the commissioner in a timely manner. For the purposes of this
    28  section, the term "criminal history record" shall mean a record  of  all
    29  convictions  of crimes and any pending criminal charges maintained on an
    30  individual by the division of criminal justice services and the  federal
    31  bureau  of  investigation. All such criminal history records sent to the
    32  commissioner pursuant to this subdivision shall be confidential pursuant
    33  to the applicable federal and state laws,  rules  and  regulations,  and
    34  shall not be published or in any way disclosed to persons other than the
    35  commissioner, unless otherwise authorized by law.
    36    § 7. Subdivision 3 of section 3035 of the education law, as amended by
    37  section  7  of  chapter  630  of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as
    38  follows:
    39    3. (a) Clearance. (i) After receipt of a criminal history record  from
    40  the  division  of  criminal  justice  services and the federal bureau of
    41  investigation the commissioner shall  promptly  notify  the  appropriate
    42  school  district,  charter  school,  board  of  cooperative  educational
    43  services, contracted service providers of student  support  services  or
    44  nonpublic or private elementary or secondary school whether the prospec-
    45  tive  employee  to  which  such report relates is cleared for employment
    46  based upon his or her criminal history. All determinations to  grant  or
    47  deny  clearance  for  employment  pursuant  to  this  paragraph shall be
    48  performed in accordance with subdivision sixteen of section two  hundred
    49  ninety-six  of  the  executive  law  and  article  twenty-three-A of the
    50  correction law. When the  commissioner  denies  a  prospective  employee
    51  clearance  for  employment,  such prospective employee shall be afforded
    52  notice and the right to be heard and offer proof in opposition  to  such
    53  determination in accordance with the regulations of the commissioner.
    54    (ii)  Notwithstanding  any  other  provisions  of law to the contrary,
    55  information regarding the results of the  investigation  of  current  or
    56  prospective employees of contracted service providers of student support

        S. 4357--A                          4

     1  services  and  subsequent  changes  in  status related to such employees
     2  shall be transmitted via an  internet-based  system  made  available  to
     3  contracted  service  providers of student support services upon applica-
     4  tion  of  the contracted service provider of student support services to
     5  the commissioner where, by logging  into  a  protected  web  portal  and
     6  entering  in  the  employee  name and social security number, contracted
     7  service providers of student support services would be  able  to  access
     8  fingerprint  results,  whether  the  employee  first  completed  a  form
     9  provided to them by the contracted service provider of  student  support
    10  services,  or received a form previously from a school district, charter
    11  school or board of cooperative educational  services.  Nothing  in  this
    12  section  shall require an employee who has already submitted their fing-
    13  erprints to the commissioner to have to submit them again,  so  long  as
    14  they were not destroyed.
    15    (b)  Conditional  clearance.  When the commissioner receives a request
    16  for a determination  on  the  conditional  clearance  of  a  prospective
    17  employee,  the  commissioner, after receipt of a criminal history record
    18  from the division of criminal justice services,  shall  promptly  notify
    19  the  prospective  employee  and the appropriate school district, charter
    20  school, board of cooperative educational  services,  contracted  service
    21  providers of student support services or nonpublic or private elementary
    22  or  secondary  school that the prospective employee to which such report
    23  relates is conditionally cleared for employment based upon  his  or  her
    24  criminal  history or that more time is needed to make the determination.
    25  If the commissioner determines that more time is needed,  the  notifica-
    26  tion  shall  include  a  good faith estimate of the amount of additional
    27  time needed. Such notification shall be  made  within  fifteen  business
    28  days  after the commissioner receives the prospective employee's finger-
    29  prints. All determinations to grant or deny  conditional  clearance  for
    30  employment  pursuant  to this paragraph shall be performed in accordance
    31  with subdivision sixteen of section two hundred ninety-six of the execu-
    32  tive law and article twenty-three-A of the correction law.
    33    § 8. Subdivision 3 of section 3035 of the education law, as amended by
    34  section 8 of chapter 630 of the laws of 2006,  is  amended  to  read  as
    35  follows:
    36    3.  After  receipt  of  a criminal history record from the division of
    37  criminal justice services and the federal bureau  of  investigation  the
    38  commissioner  shall  promptly  notify  the  appropriate school district,
    39  charter school, board of cooperative  educational  services,  contracted
    40  service  providers  of  student support services or nonpublic or private
    41  elementary or secondary school whether the prospective employee to which
    42  such report relates is cleared for employment  based  upon  his  or  her
    43  criminal  history.  All  determinations  to  grant or deny clearance for
    44  employment pursuant to this subdivision shall be performed in accordance
    45  with subdivision sixteen of section two hundred ninety-six of the execu-
    46  tive law and article twenty-three-A of the correction  law.    When  the
    47  commissioner  denies  a  prospective  employee clearance for employment,
    48  such prospective employee shall be afforded notice and the right  to  be
    49  heard  and offer proof in opposition to such determination in accordance
    50  with the regulations of the commissioner.
    51    § 9. Section 1125 of the education law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
    52  subdivision 11 to read as follows:
    53    11.  "Contracted  service  provider of student support services" shall
    54  mean any individual or entity that contracts with, but not limited to, a
    55  school district, a charter school, a board  of  cooperative  educational
    56  services,  or  a nonpublic school for the provision of substitute teach-

        S. 4357--A                          5

     1  ers,  substitute  teacher  assistants,  substitute  nurses,  educational
     2  professional,  tutors,  substitute  school  administrative  support, and
     3  other temporary student service personnel.
     4    §  10.  Subdivision  3 of section 424-a of the social services law, as
     5  amended by section 14-a of part H of chapter 56 of the laws of 2019,  is
     6  amended to read as follows:
     7    3.  For  purposes  of  this  section, the term "provider" or "provider
     8  agency" shall mean: an authorized agency; the  office  of  children  and
     9  family  services;  juvenile  detention facilities subject to the certif-
    10  ication of the office of children and family services;  programs  estab-
    11  lished pursuant to article nineteen-H of the executive law; non-residen-
    12  tial  or  residential programs or facilities licensed or operated by the
    13  office of mental health or the  office  for  people  with  developmental
    14  disabilities  except  family  care  homes; including head start programs
    15  which are funded pursuant to title V of the federal economic opportunity
    16  act of nineteen  hundred  sixty-four,  as  amended;  early  intervention
    17  service established pursuant to section twenty-five hundred forty of the
    18  public  health  law;  preschool services established pursuant to section
    19  forty-four hundred ten of the education law; contracted service  provid-
    20  ers  of  student  support  services  as defined in subdivision eleven of
    21  section eleven hundred twenty-five of the  education  law;  special  act
    22  school  districts as enumerated in chapter five hundred sixty-six of the
    23  laws of nineteen hundred sixty-seven, as amended; programs  and  facili-
    24  ties  licensed by the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services;
    25  residential schools which are operated, supervised or  approved  by  the
    26  education  department; health homes, or any subcontractor of such health
    27  homes, who contracts with or is approved or otherwise authorized by  the
    28  department  of  health  to  provide  health  home  services to all those
    29  enrolled pursuant to  a  diagnosis  of  a  developmental  disability  as
    30  defined  in subdivision twenty-two of section 1.03 of the mental hygiene
    31  law and enrollees who are under twenty-one years of  age  under  section
    32  three  hundred sixty-five-l of this chapter, or any entity that provides
    33  home and community based services to enrollees who are under  twenty-one
    34  years  of  age  under a demonstration program pursuant to section eleven
    35  hundred fifteen of the  federal  social  security  act;  publicly-funded
    36  emergency  shelters  for  families with children, provided, however, for
    37  purposes of this section, when the provider  or  provider  agency  is  a
    38  publicly-funded  emergency  shelter for families with children, then all
    39  references in this section to the "potential for regular and substantial
    40  contact with individuals who are cared for by the agency" shall mean the
    41  potential for regular and substantial  contact  with  children  who  are
    42  served  by  such  shelter; and any other facility or provider agency, as
    43  defined in subdivision four of section four hundred eighty-eight of this
    44  chapter, in regard to the employment of staff, or use  of  providers  of
    45  goods and services and staff of such providers, consultants, interns and
    46  volunteers.
    47    §  11.  Paragraph  (a) of subdivision 2 of section 390-a of the social
    48  services law, as amended by chapter 416 of the laws of 2000, is  amended
    49  to read as follows:
    50    (a) review and evaluate the backgrounds of and information supplied by
    51  any  person  applying  to be a child day care center or school-age child
    52  care program employee or volunteer or group family day care assistant, a
    53  provider of family day care or group family day care, or a director of a
    54  child day care center, head start day care center  or  school-age  child
    55  care  program.  Such  procedures shall include but not be limited to the
    56  following requirements: that the applicant set forth his or her  employ-

        S. 4357--A                          6

     1  ment  history,  provide  personal and employment references; submit such
     2  information as is required for  screening  with  the  statewide  central
     3  register  of  child  abuse  and  maltreatment  in  accordance  with  the
     4  provisions of section four hundred twenty-four-a of this article; sign a
     5  sworn statement indicating whether, to the best of his or her knowledge,
     6  he  or she has ever been convicted of a crime in this state or any other
     7  jurisdiction; and provide his or her fingerprints for submission to  the
     8  division  of criminal justice services in accordance with the provisions
     9  of section three hundred ninety-b of this title.    Notwithstanding  the
    10  provisions  of  this  paragraph,  where  a program has people working on
    11  their premises through a contracted service provider of student  support
    12  services  as  defined  in  subdivision  eleven of section eleven hundred
    13  twenty-five of the education law, and such contracted services  provider
    14  of student support services has properly performed checks on its employ-
    15  ees  as a provider or provider agency under section four hundred twenty-
    16  four-a of this chapter, then such program does not need to run the check
    17  itself on the contracted service provider  employees  working  on  their
    18  site;
    19    §  12.  This act shall take effect immediately; provided however that:
    20  (a) the amendments to paragraph (d) of subdivision 30 of section 305  of
    21  the  education law made by section four of this act shall not affect the
    22  repeal of such paragraph and shall be deemed repealed therewith; and (b)
    23  the amendments to subdivision 3 of section 3035  of  the  education  law
    24  made by section seven of this act shall be subject to the expiration and
    25  reversion  of such subdivision, pursuant to section 12 of chapter 147 of
    26  the laws of 2001, as amended, when upon  such  date  the  provisions  of
    27  section eight of this act shall take effect.
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