Bill Text: VA HB1439 | 2013 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Background checks; children's residential facilities regulated by Department of Juvenile Justice.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-03-12 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0181) [HB1439 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2013-HB1439-Chaptered.html
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §63.2-1726 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: §63.2-1726. Background check required; children's residential facilities. A. As a condition of employment, volunteering, or providing services on a regular basis, every children's residential facility that is regulated or operated by the Departments of Social Services, Education, Military Affairs, or Behavioral Health and Developmental Services shall require any individual who (i) accepts a position of employment at such a facility who was not employed by that facility prior to July 1, 2007, (ii) volunteers for such a facility on a regular basis and will be alone with a juvenile in the performance of his duties who was not a volunteer at such facility prior to July 1, 2007, or (iii) provides contractual services directly to a juvenile for such facility on a regular basis and will be alone with a juvenile in the performance of his duties who did not provide such services prior to July 1, 2007, to submit to fingerprinting and to provide personal descriptive information, to be forwarded along with the applicant's fingerprints through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information regarding such applicant. The children's residential facility shall inform the applicant that he is entitled to obtain a copy of any background check report and to challenge the accuracy and completeness of any such report and obtain a prompt resolution before a final determination is made of the applicant's eligibility to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children. The applicant shall provide the children's residential facility with a written statement or affirmation disclosing whether he has ever been convicted of or is the subject of pending charges for any offense within or outside the Commonwealth. The results of the criminal history background check must be received prior to permitting an applicant to work with children. The Central Criminal Records Exchange, upon receipt of an
individual's record or notification that no record exists, shall forward it to
the state agency which operates or regulates the children's residential
facility with which the applicant is affiliated. The state agency shall, upon
receipt of an applicant's record lacking disposition data, conduct research in
whatever state and local recordkeeping systems are available in order to obtain
complete data. The state agency shall report to the children's facility whether
the applicant is eligible to have responsibility for the safety and well-being
of children. Except as otherwise provided in subsection B, no children's
residential facility regulated or operated by the Departments of Education,
Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Military Affairs, or
Social Services shall hire for compensated employment or allow to volunteer or
provide contractual services persons who have been (a) convicted of or are the
subject of pending charges for the following crimes: a felony violation of a
protective order as set out in §16.1-253.2; murder or manslaughter as set out
in Article 1 (§18.2-30 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2; malicious wounding
by mob as set out in §18.2-41; abduction as set out in subsection A or B of §
18.2-47; abduction for immoral purposes as set out in §18.2-48; assault and
bodily woundings as set out in Article 4 (§18.2-51 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of
Title 18.2; robbery as set out in §18.2-58; carjacking as set out in §
18.2-58.1; extortion by threat as set out in §18.2-59; threat as set out in §
18.2-60; any felony stalking violation as set out in §18.2-60.3; a felony
violation of a protective order as set out in §18.2-60.4; sexual assault as
set out in Article 7 (§18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 18.2; arson as
set out in Article 1 (§18.2-77 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2; burglary
as set out in Article 2 (§18.2-89 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 18.2; any
felony violation relating to distribution of drugs as set out in Article 1 (§
18.2-247 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2; drive-by shooting as set out in §
18.2-286.1; use of a machine gun in a crime of violence as set out in §
18.2-289; aggressive use of a machine gun as set out in §18.2-290; use of a
sawed off shotgun in a crime of violence as set out in subsection A of §
18.2-300; pandering as set out in §18.2-355; crimes against nature involving
children as set out in §18.2-361; taking indecent liberties with children as
set out in §18.2-370 or 18.2-370.1; abuse or neglect of children as set out in
§18.2-371.1, including failure to secure medical attention for an injured
child as set out in §18.2-314; obscenity offenses as set out in §18.2-374.1;
possession of child pornography as set out in §18.2-374.1:1; electronic
facilitation of pornography as set out in §18.2-374.3; incest as set out in §
18.2-366; abuse or neglect of incapacitated adults as set out in §18.2-369;
employing or permitting a minor to assist in an act constituting an offense
under Article 5 (§18.2-372 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 18.2 as set out in §
18.2-379; delivery of drugs to prisoners as set out in §18.2-474.1; escape
from jail as set out in §18.2-477; felonies by prisoners as set out in §53.1-203;
or an equivalent offense in another state; (b) convicted of any felony
violation relating to possession of drugs as set out in Article 1 (§18.2-247
et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2 in the five years prior to the application
date for employment, to be a volunteer, or to provide contractual services; or
(c) convicted of any felony violation relating to possession of drugs as set
out in Article 1 (§18.2-247 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2 and continue
on probation or parole or have failed to pay required court costs. The
provisions of this section also shall apply to B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, a children's residential facility may hire for compensated employment or for volunteer or contractual service purposes persons who have been convicted of not more than one misdemeanor offense under §18.2-57 or 18.2-57.2, if 10 years have elapsed following the conviction, unless the person committed such offense in the scope of his employment, volunteer, or contractual services. If the applicant is denied employment or the opportunity to volunteer or provide services at a children's residential facility because of information appearing on his criminal history record, and the applicant disputes the information upon which the denial was based, upon written request of the applicant the state agency shall furnish the applicant the procedures for obtaining his criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. If the applicant has been permitted to assume duties that do not involve contact with children pending receipt of the report, the children's residential facility is not precluded from suspending the applicant from his position pending a final determination of the applicant's eligibility to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of children. The information provided to the children's residential facility shall not be disseminated except as provided in this section. C. Those individuals listed in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of subsection A also shall authorize the children's residential facility to obtain a copy of information from the central registry maintained pursuant to § 63.2-1515 on any investigation of child abuse or neglect undertaken on him. The applicant shall provide the children's residential facility with a written statement or affirmation disclosing whether he has ever been the subject of a founded case of child abuse or neglect within or outside the Commonwealth. The children's residential facility shall receive the results of the central registry search prior to permitting an applicant to work alone with children. Children's residential facilities regulated or operated by the Departments of Education; Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Military Affairs; and Social Services shall not hire for compensated employment or allow to volunteer or provide contractual services, persons who have a founded case of child abuse or neglect. Every residential facility for juveniles which is regulated or operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice shall be authorized to obtain a copy of the information from the central registry. D. The Boards of Social Services; Education; Juvenile Justice; and Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, and the Department of Military Affairs, may adopt regulations to comply with the provisions of this section. Copies of any information received by a children's residential facility pursuant to this section shall be available to the agency that regulates or operates such facility but shall not be disseminated further. The cost of obtaining the criminal history record and the central registry information shall be borne by the employee or volunteer unless the children's residential facility, at its option, decides to pay the cost. |
