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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T



SPONSOR: Marquardt DATE TYPED: 03/15/01 HB 418/aHEC
SHORT TITLE: Background Checks for School Volunteers SB
ANALYST: Segura


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01 FY02 FY01 FY02
N/A



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



State Department of Education (SDE)



SUMMARY



Synopsis of HEC Amendment



The House Education Committee amendment to House Bill 418 clarifies that background checks, at a minimum, are required for all volunteers who have unsupervised access to students on more than two days per week during any thirty-day calendar period and that such background checks may be conducted at the expense of the department of public safety.



Synopsis of Original Bill



House Bill 418 adds volunteers who have unsupervised access to students to the list of those who work in school settings who must have fingerprint criminal history background checks.



Significant Issues



The requires that the cost of background checks on volunteers with unsupervised access to students be conducted at the expense of local districts.



The bill defines "volunteer" to exclude parents, grandparents, or legal guardians of students at the public school where the volunteer works.









FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



House Bill 418 does not contain an appropriation. According to SDE, the bill could have a significant fiscal impact on local school districts under the provision that districts absorb the cost of conducting the background checks. The background checks costs $31.00 each for processing through the Department of Public Safety and the FBI.



ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS



There is no administrative impact to SDE, local school districts would have to administer the program.



RS/njw:ar