Committee Clears Bill To Require Background Checks For School Volunteers
TRENTON – Legislation to require background checks for school volunteers is advancing in the Assembly.
The bill (A-1019) would require any individual who volunteers to provide service on an unpaid basis in a public school district to undergo a criminal history background check in accordance with the same standards and procedures used to conduct such checks on paid school district employees.
Under current law a school district may choose to conduct background checks on volunteers and if it does so then the district must bear the cost of the check.
Under this bill, the volunteer would bear the cost of the check.
The bill was recently released by the Assembly Education Committee. It now goes to the Assembly Speaker, who decides if and when to post it for a floor vote.
