Bill > S0598

This bill establishes a comprehensive criminal background check procedure for drivers providing for-hire intrastate passenger transportation services, including taxicab, limited public motor vehicle, public motor vehicle, and transportation network company (TNC) drivers. The bill requires drivers to undergo a national and state criminal background check that includes fingerprinting, with the driver responsible for the associated costs. Certain serious criminal convictions, such as murder, sexual assault, child molestation, assault, burglary, drug offenses, and various driving-related crimes, will be considered disqualifying information. Drivers must obtain a background check clearance certificate from the Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers, which will be valid for five years. The bill provides a nuanced approach to rehabilitation, allowing drivers with past convictions to potentially obtain certification if they can demonstrate sufficient rehabilitation and present fitness. The process includes detailed notification requirements, an opportunity for the driver to provide mitigating evidence, and a formal appeal process. Additionally, the bill amends existing licensing regulations for different types of passenger transportation services to incorporate this new background check requirement. Notably, the bill includes provisions to protect individual privacy by requiring the destruction of fingerprint records after the background check and limiting the use of certain types of criminal records, such as juvenile adjudications and arrests not followed by conviction.

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