0001| HOUSE BILL 873 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| EDDIE CORLEY | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| RELATING TO EDUCATION; PROVIDING FOR BACKGROUND CHECKS; MAKING | 0012| AN APPROPRIATION; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. | 0013| | 0014| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0015| Section 1. SHORT TITLE.--This act may be cited as the | 0016| "Educator Background Check Act". | 0017| Section 2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Educator | 0018| Background Check Act: | 0019| A. "applicant" means a person who has applied to a | 0020| school district for employment or to volunteer service to | 0021| provide child care, including bus drivers and bus contractors | 0022| and their assistants, and a person who has applied to the state | 0023| board for certification; | 0024| B. "child care" means the provision of care, | 0025| treatment, education, training, instruction, supervision, | 0001| transportation or recreation to minors; | 0002| C. "department of education" means the state | 0003| department of public education; | 0004| D. "employee" means a person who is employed or | 0005| performs volunteer work regularly for a school district; | 0006| E. "federal bureau of investigation record" means a | 0007| listing of certain information taken from fingerprint cards | 0008| submitted to and retained by the federal bureau of | 0009| investigation that includes the date of arrest, the arrest | 0010| charge and the disposition of the arrest; | 0011| F. "local school board" means the governing body of | 0012| a school district; | 0013| G. "state board" means the state board of | 0014| education; and | 0015| H. "volunteer" means a person volunteering child | 0016| care services regularly to a local school board. | 0017| Section 3. BACKGROUND CHECKS--APPLICANTS.-- | 0018| A. An applicant shall provide the following to the | 0019| department of education: | 0020| (1) a fingerprint card, completed by a | 0021| criminal justice agency, bearing the fingerprints of the | 0022| applicant; | 0023| (2) a written consent authorizing the release | 0024| of criminal history background information signed by the | 0025| applicant; | 0001| (3) the name, address, date of birth, race, | 0002| sex and social security number of the applicant; and | 0003| (4) a statement that the applicant has not | 0004| been convicted of a crime; however, if the applicant has been | 0005| convicted of a crime, the applicant shall provide a written | 0006| description of the crime and the particulars of the conviction. | 0007| B. The applicant shall pay for the cost of | 0008| obtaining the federal bureau of investigation record. | 0009| C. The department of education shall review the | 0010| federal bureau of investigation record and determine whether | 0011| the applicant has been convicted of rape, statutory rape, child | 0012| abuse or child sexual abuse and shall report its findings to | 0013| either the state board or to the local school board so that the | 0014| application for certification or for employment will be denied. | 0015| Section 4. BACKGROUND CHECKS--EMPLOYEES--VOLUNTEERS.-- | 0016| A. Prior to renewing an employment contract with a | 0017| school district, an employee shall, or prior to resuming | 0018| volunteer child care services, a volunteer shall, provide to | 0019| the department of education: | 0020| (1) a fingerprint card, completed by a | 0021| criminal justice agency, bearing the fingerprints of the | 0022| employee or volunteer; | 0023| (2) a written consent authorizing the release | 0024| of criminal history background information signed by the | 0025| employee or volunteer; | 0001| (3) the name, address, date of birth, race, | 0002| sex and social security number of the employee or volunteer; | 0003| and | 0004| (4) a statement that the employee or volunteer | 0005| has not been convicted of a crime; however, if the employee or | 0006| volunteer has been convicted of a crime, the employee or | 0007| volunteer shall provide a written description of the crime and | 0008| the particulars of the conviction. | 0009| B. The employee or volunteer shall pay for the cost | 0010| of obtaining the federal bureau of investigation record. | 0011| C. The department of education shall review the | 0012| federal bureau of investigation record and determine whether | 0013| the employee or volunteer has been convicted of rape, statutory | 0014| rape, child abuse or child sexual abuse and shall report its | 0015| findings to the local school board so that the employment | 0016| contract is not renewed, the certificate is revoked or | 0017| suspended or the volunteer child care service is not resumed. | 0018| D. An employee shall submit to the federal bureau | 0019| of investigation's fingerprint background check every four | 0020| years from the first time he underwent the background check. | 0021| Section 5. NOTICE.--The department of education shall | 0022| provide: | 0023| A. notice to the applicant, current employee or | 0024| volunteer that a background check may be requested; and | 0025| B. notice to the applicant, current employee or | 0001| volunteer who is the subject of the background check of the | 0002| right to obtain a copy of the background check report, to | 0003| challenge the accuracy and completeness of information | 0004| contained in the report and to obtain a prompt verification as | 0005| to the validity of the challenge from the entity creating the | 0006| report prior to the final determination to retain, hire for | 0007| employment or accept for volunteer service is made by the | 0008| superintendent of public instruction or the school district. | 0009| Section 6. CONFIDENTIALITY.-- | 0010| A. All criminal information received by the | 0011| department of education, the state board or the local school | 0012| board shall be confidential and not further disclosed or made | 0013| available for public inspection. | 0014| B. Without additional public disclosure, the | 0015| following actions shall not be construed to violate this | 0016| section: | 0017| (1) showing the criminal history background | 0018| information report to the applicant, employee or volunteer to | 0019| give him the opportunity to challenge the report; or | 0020| (2) releasing the report to a court of | 0021| competent jurisdiction in the event of litigation involving the | 0022| employment or volunteer service of the applicant, employee or | 0023| volunteer. | 0024| C. A person who violates the provisions of | 0025| Subsection A of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and | 0001| upon conviction shall be sentenced pursuant to the provisions | 0002| of Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978. | 0003| Section 7. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAM.--The department of | 0004| education shall adopt regulations for procedures and policies | 0005| to implement the provisions of the Educator Background Check | 0006| Act by July 1, 1998. | 0007| Section 8. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred thousand dollars | 0008| ($100,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the state | 0009| department of public education for expenditure in fiscal year | 0010| 1998 for the purpose of funding the educator background check | 0011| program. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at | 0012| the end of fiscal year 1998 shall revert to the general fund. | 0013| Section 9. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public | 0014| peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately. | 0015|  | 0016| State of New Mexico | 0017| House of Representatives | 0018| | 0019| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0020| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| March 10, 1997 | 0024| | 0025| | 0001| Mr. Speaker: | 0002| | 0003| Your EDUCATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0004| | 0005| HOUSE BILL 873 | 0006| | 0007| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0008| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0009| | 0010| 1. On page 1, line 12, strike "AN APPROPRIATION" and insert | 0011| in lieu thereof "APPROPRIATIONS". | 0012| | 0013| 2. On page 1, line 21, after "drivers" insert ", their | 0014| assistants". | 0015| | 0016| 3. On page 1, line 21, strike the second occurrence of | 0017| "bus". | 0018| | 0019| 4. On page 1, line 22, strike "and their assistants". | 0020| | 0021| 5. On page 2, line 20, strike "a" and insert in lieu | 0022| thereof "two". | 0023| | 0024| 6. On page 2, line 20, strike "card" and insert in lieu | 0025| thereof "cards". | 0001| | 0002| 7. On page 3, lines 10 and 11, strike "rape, statutory | 0003| rape, child abuse or child sexual abuse" and insert in lieu | 0004| thereof "criminal sexual penetration pursuant to Section 30-9-11 | 0005| NMSA 1978, | 0006| abuse of a child pursuant to Subsection C of Section 30-6-1 NMSA | 0007| 1978 and sexual contact of a minor pursuant to Section 30-9-13 | 0008| NMSA 1978". | 0009| | 0010| 8. On page 3, line 13, strike "will" and insert in lieu | 0011| thereof "shall". | 0012| | 0013| 9. On page 4, lines 11 and 12, strike "rape, statutory | 0014| rape, child abuse or child sexual abuse" and insert in lieu | 0015| thereof "criminal sexual penetration pursuant to Section 30-9-11 | 0016| NMSA 1978, | 0017| abuse of a child pursuant to Subsection C of Section 30-6-1 NMSA | 0018| 1978 and sexual contact of a minor pursuant to Section 30-9-13 | 0019| NMSA 1978". | 0020| | 0021| 10. On page 4, line 14, strike "is not" and insert in lieu | 0022| thereof "shall not be". | 0023| | 0024| 11. On page 4, lines 17 and 18, strike "every four years | 0025| from the first time he underwent the background check" and insert | 0001| in lieu thereof "on the effective date of the Educator Background | 0002| Check Act at the time his employment contract is renewed. A | 0003| certified employee shall submit to subsequent background checks | 0004| each time his certificate is renewed and a noncertified employee | 0005| shall submit to a subsequent background check at least every nine | 0006| years and no more often than six years as determined by each | 0007| local school board.". | 0008| | 0009| 12. On page 5, line 6, after "district" insert "or prior to | 0010| the final determination by the state board to deny, suspend or | 0011| revoke certification". | 0012| | 0013| 13. On page 5, after line 25, insert the following section: | 0014| | 0015| "Section 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENT.-- | 0016| | 0017| A. A certified school administrator shall report to | 0018| the department of education known criminal convictions of | 0019| criminal sexual penetration pursuant to Section 30-9-11 NMSA | 0020| 1978, abuse of a child pursuant to Subsection C of Section 30-6-1 | 0021| NMSA 1978 or sexual contact of a minor pursuant to Section 30-9- | 0022| 13 NMSA 1978 of an employee or applicant. | 0023| | 0024| B. The state board may suspend or revoke a | 0025| certificate held by a certified school administrator who fails to | 0001| report a known criminal conviction of criminal sexual penetration | 0002| pursuant to Section 30-9-11 NMSA 1978, abuse of a child pursuant | 0003| to Subsection C of Section 30-6-1 NMSA 1978 or sexual contact of | 0004| a minor pursuant to Section 30-9-13 NMSA 1978 of an employee or | 0005| applicant. | 0006| | 0007| C. A certified school administrator who makes a good | 0008| faith report of a known criminal conviction of criminal sexual | 0009| penetration pursuant to Section 30-9-11 NMSA 1978, abuse of a | 0010| child pursuant to Subsection C of Section 30-6-1 NMSA 1978 or | 0011| sexual contact of a minor pursuant to Section 30-9-13 NMSA 1978 | 0012| of an employee or applicant shall not be held liable for civil | 0013| damages as a result of the report.". | 0014| | 0015| 14. Renumber the succeeding sections accordingly. | 0016| | 0017| 15. On page 6, lines 5 and 6, strike "One hundred thousand | 0018| dollars ($100,000)" and insert in lieu thereof "Sixty thousand | 0019| dollars ($60,000)". | 0020| | 0021| 16. On page 6, line 10, after "shall" insert "not". | 0022| | 0023| 17. On page 6, between lines 10 and 11, insert the | 0024| following section: | 0025| | 0001| "Section 9. APPROPRIATION.--Sixty thousand dollars | 0002| ($60,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the department | 0003| of public safety for expenditure in fiscal year 1998 for the | 0004| purpose of implementing the educator background check program. | 0005| Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of | 0006| fiscal year 1998 shall revert to the general fund.". | 0007| | 0008| 18. Renumber the succeeding section accordingly., | 0009| | 0010| and thence referred to the APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE | 0011| COMMITTEE. | 0012| | 0013| Respectfully submitted, | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| Samuel F. Vigil, Chairman | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| Adopted Not Adopted | 0023| | 0024| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0025| | 0001| Date | 0002| | 0003| The roll call vote was 7 For 3 Against | 0004| Yes: 7 | 0005| No: Beam, Trujillo, S.M. Williams | 0006| Excused: Nicely, Weeks, W.C. Williams | 0007| Absent: None | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| .118086.2 | 0011| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0873 State of New Mexico | 0012| House of Representatives | 0013| | 0014| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0015| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| March 18,1997 | 0019| | 0020| | 0021| Mr. Speaker: | 0022| | 0023| Your APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE, to | 0024| whom has been referred | 0025| | 0001| HOUSE BILL 873, as amended | 0002| | 0003| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0004| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0005| | 0006| 1. On page 2, line 16, before the period insert "but does | 0007| not include the parent of a child enrolled in the school where | 0008| the volunteer child care services are being provided". | 0009| | 0010| 2. On page 6, between lines 4 and 5, insert the following | 0011| new section: | 0012| | 0013| "Section 8. A new section of the Public School Code is | 0014| enacted to read: | 0015| | 0016| "[NEW MATERIAL] VOLUNTEERS--BACKGROUND CHECKS.--The local | 0017| school boards shall determine which volunteers must comply with | 0018| the provisions of the Educator Background Check Act."". | 0019| | 0020| 3. Renumber the succeeding sections accordingly. | 0021| | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| Respectfully submitted, | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| Max Coll, Chairman | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| Adopted Not Adopted | 0010| | 0011| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0012| | 0013| Date | 0014| | 0015| The roll call vote was 12 For 3 Against | 0016| Yes: 12 | 0017| No: Abeyta, Bird, Garcia,M.H. | 0018| Excused: Heaton, Salazar | 0019| Absent: None | 0020| | 0021| | 0022| .119144.1 | 0023| G:\BILLTEXT\BILLW_97\H0873 | 0024| | 0025| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0001| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| March 21, 1997 | 0005| | 0006| Mr. President: | 0007| | 0008| Your FINANCE COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0009| | 0010| HOUSE BILL 873, as amended | 0011| | 0012| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0013| recommendation that it DO PASS. | 0014| | 0015| Respectfully submitted, | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| | 0019| | 0020| __________________________________ | 0021| Ben D. Altamirano, Chairman | 0022| | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| Adopted_______________________ Not | 0001| Adopted_______________________ | 0002| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| | 0006| Date ________________________ | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| The roll call vote was 6 For 0 Against | 0010| Yes: 6 | 0011| No: None | 0012| Excused: Carraro, Eisenstadt, Ingle, Lyons, McKibben | 0013| Absent: None | 0014| | 0015| | 0016| H0873FC1 |