SENATE BILL No. 1478

 

 

November 9, 2004, Introduced by Senators ALLEN, PRUSI, GOSCHKA and BIRKHOLZ and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 451, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "The revised school code,"                                                  

                                                                                

    by amending sections 1230 and 1230a (MCL 380.1230 and 380.1230a),           

                                                                                

    section 1230 as amended by 1993 PA 284 and section 1230a as added           

                                                                                

    by 1995 PA 83.                                                              

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 1230.  (1)  Beginning with hiring for the 1993-94                      

                                                                                

2   school year and subject  Subject to subsections (2), (4), and               

                                                                                

3   (5), upon an offer of initial employment being made by the board            

                                                                                

4   of a school district, local act school district, or intermediate            

                                                                                

5   school district or the governing body of a public school academy            

                                                                                

6   or nonpublic school to an individual for a position as a teacher            

                                                                                

7   or a school administrator,  or  for a position requiring state              

                                                                                

8   board approval, or for a position providing special education               

                                                                                

9   services directly to pupils, the district, public school academy,           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   or nonpublic school shall request from the criminal records                 

                                                                                

2   division of the department of state police a criminal history               

                                                                                

3   check on the individual and, before employing the individual as a           

                                                                                

4   regular employee, shall have received from the department of                

                                                                                

5   state police the report described in subsection (8).                        

                                                                                

6       (2) If the board of a school district, local act school                     

                                                                                

7   district, or intermediate school district or the governing body             

                                                                                

8   of a public school academy or nonpublic school determines it                

                                                                                

9   necessary to employ an individual for a position described in               

                                                                                

10  subsection (1) for a particular school year during that school              

                                                                                

11  year or within 30 days before the beginning of that school year,            

                                                                                

12  the board or governing body may employ the individual as a                  

                                                                                

13  conditional employee under this subsection without first                    

                                                                                

14  receiving the report described in subsection (8) if all of the              

                                                                                

15  following apply:                                                            

                                                                                

16      (a) The board or governing body requests the criminal history               

                                                                                

17  check required under subsection (1) before conditionally                    

                                                                                

18  employing the individual.                                                   

                                                                                

19      (b) The individual signs a statement that identifies all                    

                                                                                

20  crimes for which he or she has been convicted, if any, and                  

                                                                                

21  agreeing that, if the report described in subsection (8) is not             

                                                                                

22  the same as the individual's statement, his or her employment               

                                                                                

23  contract will be voidable at the option of the board or governing           

                                                                                

24  body.   Not later than July 28, 1993, the  The department shall             

                                                                                

25  develop and distribute to districts and nonpublic schools a model           

                                                                                

26  form for the statement required under this subdivision.  The                

                                                                                

27  department shall make the model form available to public school             


                                                                                

1   academies.  A district, public school academy, or nonpublic                 

                                                                                

2   school shall use the model form for the purposes of this                    

                                                                                

3   subsection.                                                                 

                                                                                

4       (3) If an individual is employed as a conditional employee                  

                                                                                

5   under subsection (2) and the report described in subsection (8)             

                                                                                

6   is not the same as the individual's statement under subsection              

                                                                                

7   (2), the board or governing body may void the individual's                  

                                                                                

8   employment contract.  If an employment contract is voided under             

                                                                                

9   this subsection, the individual's employment is terminated, a               

                                                                                

10  collective bargaining agreement that would otherwise apply to the           

                                                                                

11  individual's employment does not apply to the termination, and              

                                                                                

12  the district, public school academy, or nonpublic school or the             

                                                                                

13  board or governing body is not liable for the termination.                  

                                                                                

14      (4) For an applicant for a position as a substitute teacher,                

                                                                                

15  instead of requesting a criminal history check under                        

                                                                                

16  subsection (1), a school district, local act school district,               

                                                                                

17  intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic           

                                                                                

18  school may use a report received by another district, public                

                                                                                

19  school academy, or nonpublic school or maintained by the                    

                                                                                

20  department to confirm that the individual does not have any                 

                                                                                

21  criminal history.  If that confirmation is not available,                   

                                                                                

22  subsection (1) applies to an applicant for a position as a                  

                                                                                

23  substitute teacher.                                                         

                                                                                

24      (5) If an applicant for a position described in                             

                                                                                

25  subsection (1) is being considered for employment in such a                 

                                                                                

26  position by more than 1 school district, local act school                   

                                                                                

27  district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or           


                                                                                

1   nonpublic school and if the applicant agrees in writing to allow            

                                                                                

2   a district, public school academy, or nonpublic school to share             

                                                                                

3   the report described in subsection (8) with another district,               

                                                                                

4   public school academy, or nonpublic school, a district, public              

                                                                                

5   school academy, or nonpublic school may satisfy the requirements            

                                                                                

6   of subsection (1) by obtaining a copy of the report described in            

                                                                                

7   subsection (8) from another district, public school academy, or             

                                                                                

8   nonpublic school.                                                           

                                                                                

9       (6) An applicant for a position described in subsection (1)                 

                                                                                

10  shall give written consent at the time of application for the               

                                                                                

11  criminal records division of the department of state police to              

                                                                                

12  conduct the criminal history check required under this section.             

                                                                                

13      (7) A school district, local act school district,                           

                                                                                

14  intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic           

                                                                                

15  school shall make a request to the criminal records division of             

                                                                                

16  the department of state police for a criminal history check                 

                                                                                

17  required under this section on a form and in a manner prescribed            

                                                                                

18  by the criminal records division of the department of state                 

                                                                                

19  police.                                                                     

                                                                                

20      (8) Within 30 days after receiving a proper request by a                    

                                                                                

21  school district, local act school district, intermediate school             

                                                                                

22  district, public school academy, or nonpublic school for a                  

                                                                                

23  criminal history check on an applicant under this section, the              

                                                                                

24  criminal records division of the department of state police shall           

                                                                                

25  conduct the criminal history check and, after conducting the                

                                                                                

26  criminal history check and within that time period, provide a               

                                                                                

27  report of the results of the criminal history check to the                  


                                                                                

1   district, public school academy, or nonpublic school.  The report           

                                                                                

2   shall contain any criminal history record information on the                

                                                                                

3   applicant maintained by the criminal records division of the                

                                                                                

4   department of state police.                                                 

                                                                                

5       (9) Criminal history record information received from the                   

                                                                                

6   criminal records division of the department of state police under           

                                                                                

7   subsection (8) shall be used by a school district, local act                

                                                                                

8   school district, intermediate school district, public school                

                                                                                

9   academy, or nonpublic school only for the purpose of evaluating             

                                                                                

10  an applicant's qualifications for employment in the position for            

                                                                                

11  which he or she has applied and for the purposes of                         

                                                                                

12  subsection (3).  A member of the board of a district or of the              

                                                                                

13  governing body of a public school academy or nonpublic school or            

                                                                                

14  an employee of a district, public school academy, or nonpublic              

                                                                                

15  school shall not disclose the report or its contents except any             

                                                                                

16  felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction involving sexual or           

                                                                                

17  physical abuse to any person who is not directly involved in                

                                                                                

18  evaluating the applicant's qualifications for employment.                   

                                                                                

19  However, for the purposes of subsection (4), a person described             

                                                                                

20  in this subsection may confirm to an employee of another                    

                                                                                

21  district, public school academy, or nonpublic school that a                 

                                                                                

22  report under subsection (8) has revealed that an individual does            

                                                                                

23  not have any criminal history or may disclose that no report                

                                                                                

24  under subsection (8) has been received concerning the individual,           

                                                                                

25  and for the purposes of subsection (5), a person described in               

                                                                                

26  this subsection may provide a copy of the report under                      

                                                                                

27  subsection (8) concerning the individual to an appropriate                  


                                                                                

1   representative of another district, public school academy, or               

                                                                                

2   nonpublic school.  A person who violates this subsection is                 

                                                                                

3   guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than               

                                                                                

4   $10,000.00, but is not subject to the penalties under                       

                                                                                

5   section 1804.                                                               

                                                                                

6       (10) As used in this section:                                               

                                                                                

7       (a) "Criminal history record information" means that term as                

                                                                                

8   defined in section 1a of  Act No. 289 of the Public Acts of 1925,           

                                                                                

9   being section 28.241a of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1925 PA 289,           

                                                                                

10  MCL 28.241a.                                                                

                                                                                

11      (b) "State board approval" means that term as defined in                    

                                                                                

12  section 1539b.                                                              

                                                                                

13      Sec. 1230a.  (1) In addition to the criminal history check                  

                                                                                

14  required under section 1230, the board of a school district,                

                                                                                

15  local act school district, or intermediate school district or the           

                                                                                

16  governing body of a public school academy or nonpublic school               

                                                                                

17  shall request the department of state police to conduct a                   

                                                                                

18  criminal records check through the federal bureau of                        

                                                                                

19  investigation on an applicant for, or an individual who is hired            

                                                                                

20  for, a position as a teacher or a school administrator,  or  a              

                                                                                

21  position requiring state board approval, or a position providing            

                                                                                

22  special education services directly to pupils.  Except as                   

                                                                                

23  provided in subsection (2), a board or governing body shall not             

                                                                                

24  employ an individual in a position described in this subsection             

                                                                                

25  until after the board or governing body receives the results of             

                                                                                

26  the criminal records check.  A board or governing body requesting           

                                                                                

27  a criminal records check under this section shall require the               


                                                                                

1   applicant or individual to submit his or her fingerprints to the            

                                                                                

2   department of state police for that purpose.  The department of             

                                                                                

3   state police may charge a fee for conducting the criminal records           

                                                                                

4   check.  A board or governing body shall require an individual to            

                                                                                

5   submit his or her fingerprints for the purposes of this section             

                                                                                

6   only at the time the individual initially applies for employment            

                                                                                

7   with the board or governing body or is initially employed by the            

                                                                                

8   board or governing body.                                                    

                                                                                

9       (2) If the board of a school district, local act school                     

                                                                                

10  district, or intermediate school district or the governing body             

                                                                                

11  of a public school academy or nonpublic school determines it                

                                                                                

12  necessary to employ an individual for a position described in               

                                                                                

13  subsection (1) for a particular school year during that school              

                                                                                

14  year or within 30 days before the beginning of that school year,            

                                                                                

15  the board or governing body may employ the individual as a                  

                                                                                

16  conditional employee under this subsection without first                    

                                                                                

17  receiving the results of the criminal records check under                   

                                                                                

18  subsection (1) if all of the following apply:                               

                                                                                

19      (a) The board or governing body requests the criminal records               

                                                                                

20  check under subsection (1) before conditionally employing the               

                                                                                

21  individual.                                                                 

                                                                                

22      (b) The individual signs a statement that identifies all                    

                                                                                

23  crimes for which he or she has been convicted, if any, and                  

                                                                                

24  agreeing that, if the results of the criminal records check under           

                                                                                

25  subsection (1) reveal information that is inconsistent with the             

                                                                                

26  individual's statement, his or her employment contract will be              

                                                                                

27  voidable at the option of the board or governing body.   Not                


                                                                                

1   later than September 30, 1995, the  The department shall develop            

                                                                                

2   and distribute to districts and nonpublic schools a model form              

                                                                                

3   for the statement required under this subdivision.  The                     

                                                                                

4   department shall make the model form available to public school             

                                                                                

5   academies.  A district, public school academy, or nonpublic                 

                                                                                

6   school shall use the model form for the purposes of this                    

                                                                                

7   subsection.                                                                 

                                                                                

8       (3) If an individual is employed as a conditional employee                  

                                                                                

9   under subsection (2) and the results of the criminal records                

                                                                                

10  check under subsection (1) reveal information that is                       

                                                                                

11  inconsistent with the individual's statement under subsection               

                                                                                

12  (2), the board or governing body may void the individual's                  

                                                                                

13  employment contract.  If an employment contract is voided under             

                                                                                

14  this subsection, the individual's employment is terminated, a               

                                                                                

15  collective bargaining agreement that would otherwise apply to the           

                                                                                

16  individual's employment does not apply to the termination, and              

                                                                                

17  the district, public school academy, or nonpublic school or the             

                                                                                

18  board or governing body is not liable for the termination.                  

                                                                                

19      (4) For an applicant for a position as a substitute teacher,                

                                                                                

20  instead of requesting a criminal records check under                        

                                                                                

21  subsection (1), a school district, local act school district,               

                                                                                

22  intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic           

                                                                                

23  school may use results received by another district, public                 

                                                                                

24  school academy, or nonpublic school or maintained by the                    

                                                                                

25  department to confirm that the individual does not have any                 

                                                                                

26  criminal history.  If that confirmation is not available,                   

                                                                                

27  subsection (1) applies to an applicant for a position as a                  


                                                                                

1   substitute teacher.                                                         

                                                                                

2       (5) If an applicant for a position described in                             

                                                                                

3   subsection (1) is being considered for employment in such a                 

                                                                                

4   position by more than 1 school district, local act school                   

                                                                                

5   district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or           

                                                                                

6   nonpublic school and if the applicant agrees in writing to allow            

                                                                                

7   a district, public school academy, or nonpublic school to share             

                                                                                

8   the results of the criminal records check with another district,            

                                                                                

9   public school academy, or nonpublic school, then a district,                

                                                                                

10  public school academy, or nonpublic school may satisfy the                  

                                                                                

11  requirements of subsection (1) by obtaining a copy of the results           

                                                                                

12  of the criminal records check from another district, public                 

                                                                                

13  school academy, or nonpublic school.                                        

                                                                                

14      (6) An applicant for a position described in subsection (1)                 

                                                                                

15  shall give written consent at the time of application for the               

                                                                                

16  criminal records division of the department of state police to              

                                                                                

17  conduct the criminal records check required under this section.             

                                                                                

18      (7) A school district, local act school district,                           

                                                                                

19  intermediate school district, public school academy, or nonpublic           

                                                                                

20  school shall make a request to the department of state police for           

                                                                                

21  a criminal records check under this section on a form and in a              

                                                                                

22  manner prescribed by the department of state police.                        

                                                                                

23      (8) The results of a criminal records check under this                      

                                                                                

24  section shall be used by a school district, local act school                

                                                                                

25  district, intermediate school district, public school academy, or           

                                                                                

26  nonpublic school only for the purpose of evaluating an                      

                                                                                

27  individual's qualifications for employment in the position for              


                                                                                

1   which he or she has applied and for the purposes of                         

                                                                                

2   subsections (3), (4), and (5).  A member of the board of a                  

                                                                                

3   district or of the governing body of a public school academy or             

                                                                                

4   nonpublic school or an employee of a district, public school                

                                                                                

5   academy, or nonpublic school shall not disclose those results,              

                                                                                

6   except any felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction                    

                                                                                

7   involving sexual or physical abuse, to any person who is not                

                                                                                

8   directly involved in evaluating the individual's qualifications             

                                                                                

9   for employment.  However, for the purposes of subsections (4) and           

                                                                                

10  (5), a person described in this subsection may provide a copy of            

                                                                                

11  the results under subsection (1) concerning the individual to an            

                                                                                

12  appropriate representative of another district, public school               

                                                                                

13  academy, or nonpublic school.  A person who violates this                   

                                                                                

14  subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not           

                                                                                

15  more than $10,000.00, but is not subject to the penalties under             

                                                                                

16  section 1804.                                                               

                                                                                

17      (9) Within 30 days after receiving a proper request by a                    

                                                                                

18  school district, local act school district, intermediate school             

                                                                                

19  district, public school academy, or nonpublic school for a                  

                                                                                

20  criminal records check on an individual under this section, the             

                                                                                

21  criminal records division of the department of state police shall           

                                                                                

22  initiate the criminal records check.  After conducting the                  

                                                                                

23  criminal records check for a school district, local act school              

                                                                                

24  district, intermediate school district, or public school academy,           

                                                                                

25  the criminal records division of the department of state police             

                                                                                

26  shall provide the results of the criminal records check to the              

                                                                                

27  district or public school academy.  After conducting the criminal           


                                                                                

1   records check for a nonpublic school, the criminal records                  

                                                                                

2   division of the department of state police shall notify the                 

                                                                                

3   nonpublic school of whether or not the criminal records check               

                                                                                

4   disclosed any criminal history that is not disclosed in the                 

                                                                                

5   report on the individual provided to the nonpublic school under             

                                                                                

6   section 1230.                                                               

                                                                                

7       (10) As used in this section, "state board approval" means                  

                                                                                

8   that term as defined in section 1539b.