HB 1200 -- Family Care Safety Registry

Sponsor:  Grisamore

This bill changes the laws regarding criminal background checks
conducted under the Family Care Safety Registry.  In its main
provisions, the bill:

(1)  Requires the Department of Health and Senior Services,
subject to appropriations or with funds from the federal American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to update and enhance the
technological capabilities of the registry and implement a new
interdepartmental uniform infrastructure and procedures for the
departments of Public Safety, Social Services, Mental Health, and
Elementary and Secondary Education to use for background
screening results;

(2)  Requires available funds to be used for processing the
background screening results of employees of these departments
who are not currently registered and to make the necessary
technological, administrative, and procedural adjustments to
ensure the interagency operability needed for implementation of
the new infrastructure and procedures;

(3)  Requires the Department of Public Safety to report all
results to the registry when the other departments submit an
application for a background screening to the State Highway
Patrol;

(4)  Requires all criminal background checks to include a federal
and state search;

(5)  Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education to report results to the registry.  Currently, the
registry only contains background screening results from
applicants reported by the departments of Social Services, Mental
Health, and Health and Senior Services;

(6)  Specifies that the contents of the registry will include
open and closed records and be accessible to the five departments
and school districts.  However, certain information which would
violate federal laws cannot be shared between departments; and

(7)  Allows the background screening applicant to appeal directly
to the department that disqualified him or her for employment, if
applicable, when the denial is based on results found in the
registry.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:26 am