Bill Text: NJ S1611 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Waives fee to obtain State and national criminal history record background checks for volunteers and affiliates of certain organizations.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-12-16 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S1611 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-S1611-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator ANTHONY R. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Waives fee to obtain State and national criminal history record background checks for volunteers and affiliates of certain organizations.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning certain criminal history record background checks and amending P.L.1999, c.432.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P. L.1999, c.432 (C.15A:3A-2) is amended to read as follows:
2. a. A nonprofit youth serving organization may request, through the department, that the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of State Police conduct a criminal history record background check on each prospective and current employee or volunteer of the organization.
b. For the purpose of conducting the criminal history record background check, the division shall examine its own files and arrange for a similar examination by federal authorities. The division shall inform the department whether the person's criminal history record background check reveals a conviction of a disqualifying crime or offense as specified in section 3 of this act.
c. The division shall conduct a criminal history record background check only upon receipt of the written consent to the check of the prospective or current employee or volunteer.
d. The organization or the prospective or current employee or volunteer shall bear the costs associated with conducting criminal history background checks, except that no fee shall be charged to an individual who makes the request in order to apply to become a volunteer with an affiliate of Big Brothers of America or Big Sisters of America or Boys and Girls Clubs of America; nor shall an affiliate of Big Brothers of America or Big Sisters of America or Boys and Girls Clubs of America be charged a fee when requesting a criminal history record background check. Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the contrary, the department shall not charge a fee for a criminal history record background check that exceeds the actual cost of conducting that check, as determined by the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the cost per criminal history background check in the immediately preceding year.
(cf. P.L.1999, c.432, s.2)
2. This act shall take effect immediately on the 60th day following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill waives the fee for volunteers and affiliates of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America and Boys and Girls Clubs of America Organizations to obtain criminal history record background checks conducted by the State Bureau of Identification in the Division of State Police. Pursuant to P.L.1999, c.432, a Title 15 non-profit youth services organization is entitled to request through the Department of Law and Public Safety a criminal history record background check for its volunteers conducted by the State Police of New Jersey. This bill would allow these organizations to benefit from screening out potentially dangerous volunteers from service without having to burden volunteers or the organization with paying the costs of processing the criminal history record background check.
