Bill > S2173

This bill, effective July 1, 2026, eliminates the requirement for new applicants seeking employment in childcare and youth-serving roles, as defined by the relevant sections of Rhode Island General Laws, to pay the cost of their criminal background checks. Currently, individuals applying for positions that involve contact with children or supervisory responsibilities in licensed childcare facilities, child-placing agencies, or residential childcare facilities must undergo a criminal records check, and in some cases, the applicant or the requesting agency is responsible for the expense. This legislation shifts that financial burden for new applicants, ensuring that the comprehensive nationwide criminal records check will be provided at no charge to them. The bill also clarifies that the responsibility for conducting these checks lies with the Bureau of Criminal Identification of the State Police, local police departments, the office of the Attorney General, or the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

Labor and Employment

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