Bill > HB790

This bill establishes a new process for criminal background checks of employees at the Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) who have access to federal taxpayer information. Specifically, the bill requires such employees to submit a full set of fingerprints to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for comprehensive criminal history checks, including both state and federal background investigations. Employees must sign a release of information and agree to the background check. The DOJ will then forward all criminal history record information to the DOR, and the department will be responsible for paying all associated fees for obtaining these background reports. The motivation behind this requirement appears to be compliance with federal guidelines for accessing sensitive taxpayer information. The bill will be added to Title 15, Chapter 1, Part 1 of Montana law and will become effective immediately upon passage and approval. Key terms like "criminal justice agency" and "federal taxpayer information" are defined by reference to existing Montana statutes, ensuring a precise legal framework for these new background check procedures.