REFERENCE TITLE: noncertificated school personnel; disciplinary action State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 SB 1292 Introduced by Senators Miranda: Angius AN ACT amending sections 15-106, 15-183, 15-505 and 15-512, Arizona Revised Statutes; appropriating monies; relating to school employees. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
REFERENCE TITLE: noncertificated school personnel; disciplinary action
State of Arizona Senate Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
SB 1292
Introduced by Senators Miranda: Angius
REFERENCE TITLE: noncertificated school personnel; disciplinary action
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
2025
SB 1292
Introduced by
Senators Miranda: Angius
AN ACT
amending sections 15-106, 15-183, 15-505 and 15-512, Arizona Revised Statutes; appropriating monies; relating to school employees.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona: Section 1. Section 15-106, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE15-106. Identity verified fingerprints An applicant who applies for a new teaching certificate in order to teach in a school district, a participant in field experience or student teaching in this state, an applicant who applies for a renewal of an existing teaching certificate in order to continue teaching in a school district, an applicant who is required for the first time to be fingerprinted in order to teach in a charter school and an applicant who is required to renew fingerprints in order to continue teaching in a charter school pursuant to section 15-183, an applicant who is required to be fingerprinted or to obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-512 and any person who is contracted by this state, by a school district or by a charter school to provide tutoring services shall submit for an identity verified fingerprint card that will be used by the department of public safety to process the fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1 as follows: 1. The applicant shall submit a request for an application packet from the department of public safety. 2. The application packet shall be contained in an envelope specified by the department of public safety and shall include the following: (a) A blank applicant fingerprint card. (b) An application for a fingerprint clearance card. (c) Instructions for the return of returning the application packet. 3. A school district or charter school may contract for fingerprinting services through an entity or entities and shall provide a copy of the instructions to the entity or entities as provided by the department of public safety regarding the submission of identity verified fingerprints. If a school district or charter school elects to provide fingerprinting services, the school district or charter school shall authorize an individual employed by the school district or charter school to administer the services. 4. The department of public safety shall provide instructions to law enforcement agencies and public schools regarding the submission of identity verified fingerprints. The department of public safety shall reject the application for a fingerprint clearance card if the application is not correct or is not submitted according to the instructions provided by the department of public safety. 5. The applicant, at the time that identity verified fingerprints are taken, shall provide the law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity with a completed application form for a fingerprint clearance card, the fingerprint card with the requisite demographic information and the required fee in the form of a money order or cashier's check made out to the department of public safety. The law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity shall verify the identity of the applicant through recognized means of photographic identification and a comparison of the demographic information on the photographic identification against the demographic information on the application form and the fingerprint card. The authorized person taking the fingerprints shall enter on the application form a description of the photographic identification presented by the applicant. The law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity shall place the completed fingerprint card, the completed application form or any other form required by the department of public safety and the fee provided by the applicant in the postage prepaid envelope provided by the department of public safety and mail it to the fingerprinting division in the department of public safety. A law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity may charge the applicant a reasonable fee for services provided pursuant to this section. 6. Fingerprints submitted electronically or through an internet-based system pursuant to section 41-1758.01 shall include a completed application for a fingerprint clearance card, the requisite applicant demographic information and the required fee, and shall be identity verified in accordance with instructions provided by the department of public safety. The department shall reject the application for a fingerprint clearance card if the application is not correct or is not submitted according to the department's instructions. The entity or entities contracted by the department shall comply with: (a) All information privacy and security measures and submission standards established by the department. (b) The information technology security policy approved by the department. 7. The department of public safety shall process the application packet in the same manner prescribed for fingerprint clearance cards issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. 8. The department of public safety shall provide for digital storage and retrieval of identity verified fingerprints taken pursuant to this section. The fingerprints taken pursuant to this section shall be digitally designated in the fingerprint archive as identity verified fingerprint records. 9. A person who has a set of identity verified fingerprints on file with the department of public safety pursuant to this section shall is not be required to submit a new set of fingerprints to the department of public safety to renew the person's fingerprint clearance card. On receipt of the required application form and fee for a renewal fingerprint clearance card from a person required to submit identity verified fingerprints, the department of public safety shall attempt to use the electronic copy of the applicant's identity verified fingerprints that are retained pursuant to this section to conduct the state and national criminal records checks. The department of public safety may require the applicant to submit a new set of identity verified fingerprints if the department of public safety determines that the original fingerprints submitted have been lost or damaged or are found to be otherwise of insufficient quality to conduct a valid technical fingerprint search either by the department of public safety or the federal bureau of investigation. 10. A person who participates in a teacher preparation program that is approved by the state board of education and who does not participate in field experience or student teaching in this state shall is not be required to obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to this section. END_STATUTE Sec. 2. Section 15-183, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE15-183. Charter schools; application; requirements; immunity; exemptions; renewal of application; reprisal; fee; funds; annual reports A. An applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall apply in writing to a proposed sponsor as prescribed in subsection C of this section. The application, application process and application time frames shall be posted on the sponsor's website and shall include the following, as specified in the application adopted by the sponsor: 1. A detailed educational plan. 2. A detailed business plan. 3. A detailed operational plan. 4. Any other materials required by the sponsor. B. The sponsor of a charter school may contract with a public body, private person or private organization for the purpose of establishing a charter school pursuant to this article. C. The sponsor of a charter school may be either the state board of education, the state board for charter schools, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district or a group of community college districts, subject to the following requirements: 1. An applicant may not apply for sponsorship to any person or entity other than those prescribed in this subsection. 2. The applicant may apply to the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. Notwithstanding any other law, neither the state board for charter schools nor the state board of education shall grant a charter to a school district governing board for a new charter school or for the conversion of an existing district public school to a charter school. The state board of education or the state board for charter schools may approve the application if the application meets the requirements of this article and may approve the charter if the proposed sponsor determines, within its sole discretion, that the applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school and that the applicant is applying to operate as a separate charter holder by considering factors such as whether: (a) The schools have separate governing bodies, governing body membership, staff, facilities and student population. (b) Daily operations are carried out by different administrators. (c) The applicant intends to have an affiliation agreement for the purpose of providing enrollment preferences. (d) The applicant's charter management organization has multiple charter holders serving varied grade configurations on one physical site or nearby sites serving one community. (e) The applicant is reconstituting an existing school site population at the same or new site. (f) The applicant is reconstituting an existing grade configuration from a prior charter holder with at least one grade remaining on the original site with the other grade or grades moving to a new site. The state board of education or the state board for charter schools may approve any charter schools transferring charters. If the state board of education or the state board for charter schools rejects the preliminary application, the state board of education or the state board for charter schools shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the rejection and of suggestions for improving the application. An applicant may submit a revised application for reconsideration by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. The applicant may request, and the state board of education or the state board for charter schools may provide, technical assistance to improve the application. 3. The applicant may submit the application to a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district or a group of community college districts. A university, a community college district or a group of community college districts shall not grant a charter to a school district governing board for a new charter school or for the conversion of an existing district public school to a charter school. A university, a community college district or a group of community college districts may approve the application if it meets the requirements of this article and if the proposed sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that the applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school. 4. Each applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall submit a full set of fingerprints to the approving agency for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. If an applicant will have direct contact with students, the applicant shall possess a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation. The criminal records check shall be completed before the issuance of a charter. 5. All persons engaged in instructional work directly as a classroom, laboratory or other teacher or indirectly as a supervisory teacher, speech therapist or principal and all charter representatives, charter school governing body members and officers, directors, members and partners of the charter holder shall have a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1, unless the person is a volunteer or guest speaker who is accompanied in the classroom by a person with a valid fingerprint clearance card. A charter school shall not employ in any position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card a person against whom the state board of education has taken disciplinary action as prescribed in section 15-505 or whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the person's certificate has been subsequently reinstated by the state board of education. All other personnel shall be fingerprint checked pursuant to are subject to the fingerprint check or fingerprint clearance card requirements prescribed by section 15-512. , or The charter school may require those personnel who are not subject to fingerprint check requirements pursuant to section 15-512 to obtain a fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. Before employment, the charter school shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of a person to obtain information and recommendations that may be relevant to the person's fitness for employment as prescribed in section 15-512, subsection F, including checking the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education pursuant to section 15-505. The charter school shall notify the department of public safety if the charter school or sponsor receives credible evidence that a person who possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card is arrested for or is charged with an offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B. A person who is employed at a charter school that has met the requirements of this paragraph is not required to meet any additional requirements that are established by the department of education or that may be established by rule by the state board of education. The state board of education may not adopt rules that exceed the requirements for persons who are qualified to teach in charter schools prescribed in title I of the every student succeeds act (P.L. 114-95) or the individuals with disabilities education improvement act of 2004 (P.L. 108-446). Charter schools may hire personnel who have not yet received before the results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued if proof is provided of the submission of an application to the department of public safety for a fingerprint check or a fingerprint clearance card and if the charter school that is seeking to hire the applicant does all of the following: (a) Documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placing the applicant before the applicant receives results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued. (b) Ensures that the department of public safety completes a statewide and federal criminal records check on the applicant. A statewide criminal records check shall be completed by the department of public safety every one hundred twenty days until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied. (c) Obtains references from the applicant's current employer and the two most recent previous employers, except for applicants who have been employed for at least five years by the applicant's most recent employer. (d) Provides general supervision of the applicant until the date that the results of the fingerprint check are received or the fingerprint card is obtained. (e) Completes a search of criminal records in all local jurisdictions outside of this state in which the applicant has lived in the previous five years. (f) Verifies the fingerprint status of the applicant with the department of public safety. 6. A charter school that complies with the fingerprinting requirements of this section shall be deemed to have complied with section 15-512 and is entitled to the same rights and protections provided to school districts by section 15-512. 7. If a charter school operator is not already subject to a public meeting or hearing by the municipality in which the charter school is located, the operator of a charter school shall conduct a public meeting at least thirty days before the charter school operator opens a site or sites for the charter school. The charter school operator shall post notices of the public meeting in at least three different locations that are within three hundred feet of the proposed charter school site. 8. A person who is employed by a charter school or who is an applicant for employment with a charter school, who is arrested for or charged with a nonappealable offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B and who does not immediately report the arrest or charge to the person's supervisor or potential employer is guilty of unprofessional conduct and the person shall be immediately dismissed from employment with the charter school or immediately excluded from potential employment with the charter school. 9. A person who is employed by a charter school and who is convicted of any nonappealable offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B or is convicted of any nonappealable offense that amounts to unprofessional conduct under section 15-550 shall immediately do all of the following: (a) Surrender any certificates issued by the department of education. (b) Notify the person's employer or potential employer of the conviction. (c) Notify the department of public safety of the conviction. (d) Surrender the person's fingerprint clearance card. D. An entity that is authorized to sponsor charter schools pursuant to this article has no legal authority over or responsibility for a charter school sponsored by a different entity. This subsection does not apply to the state board of education's duty to exercise general supervision over the public school system pursuant to section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 1. E. The charter of a charter school shall do all of the following: 1. Ensure compliance with federal, state and local rules, regulations and statutes relating to health, safety, civil rights and insurance. The department of education shall publish a list of relevant rules, regulations and statutes to notify charter schools of their responsibilities under this paragraph. 2. Ensure that it is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies and employment practices and all other operations. 3. Ensure that it provides a comprehensive program of instruction for at least a kindergarten program or any grade between grades one and twelve, except that a school may offer this curriculum with an emphasis on a specific learning philosophy or style or certain subject areas such as mathematics, science, fine arts, performance arts or foreign language. 4. Ensure that it designs a method to measure pupil progress toward the pupil outcomes adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741.01, including participation in the statewide assessment and the nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test as designated by the state board and the completion and distribution of an annual report card as prescribed in chapter 7, article 3 of this title. 5. Ensure that, except as provided in this article and in its charter, it is exempt from all statutes and rules relating to schools, governing boards and school districts. 6. Ensure that, except as provided in this article, it is subject to the same financial and electronic data submission requirements as a school district, including the uniform system of financial records as prescribed in chapter 2, article 4 of this title, procurement rules as prescribed in section 15-213 and audit requirements. The auditor general shall conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the uniform system of financial records to ensure that the provisions of the uniform system of financial records that relate to charter schools are in accordance with commonly accepted accounting principles used by private business. A school's charter may include exceptions to the requirements of this paragraph that are necessary as determined by the university, the community college district, the group of community college districts, the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. The department of education or the office of the auditor general may conduct financial, program or compliance audits. 7. Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws relating to the education of children with disabilities in the same manner as a school district. 8. Ensure that it provides for a governing body for the charter school that is responsible for the policy decisions of the charter school. Notwithstanding section 1-216, if there is a vacancy or vacancies on the governing body, a majority of the remaining members of the governing body constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, unless that quorum is prohibited by the charter school's operating agreement. 9. Ensure that it provides a minimum of one hundred eighty instructional days before June 30 of each fiscal year unless it is operating on an alternative calendar approved by its sponsor. The superintendent of public instruction shall adjust the apportionment schedule accordingly to accommodate a charter school utilizing an alternative calendar. F. A charter school shall collect and maintain information about each teacher's educational and teaching background and experience in a particular academic content subject area. A charter school shall either post the information on the charter school's website or make the information available for inspection on request of parents and guardians of pupils enrolled at the charter school. This subsection does not require any charter school to release personally identifiable information in relation to any teacher, including the teacher's address, salary, social security number or telephone number. G. The charter of a charter school may be amended at the request of the governing body of the charter school and on the approval of the sponsor. H. Charter schools may contract, sue and be sued. I. The charter is effective for fifteen years from the first day of the fiscal year as specified in the charter, subject to the following: 1. At least eighteen months before the charter expires, the sponsor shall notify the charter school that the charter school may apply for renewal and shall make the renewal application available to the charter school. A charter school that elects to apply for renewal shall file a complete renewal application at least fifteen months before the charter expires. A sponsor shall give written notice of its intent not to renew the charter school's request for renewal to the charter school at least twelve months before the expiration of the charter. The sponsor shall make data used in making renewal decisions available to the school and the public and shall provide a public report summarizing the evidence basis for each decision. The sponsor may deny the request for renewal if, in its judgment, the charter holder has failed to do any of the following: (a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework. (b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (d) Complete the obligations of the contract. (e) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt. 2. A charter operator may apply for early renewal. At least nine months before the charter school's intended renewal consideration, the operator of the charter school shall submit a letter of intent to the sponsor to apply for early renewal. The sponsor shall review fiscal audits and academic performance data for the charter school that are annually collected by the sponsor, review the current contract between the sponsor and the charter school and provide the qualifying charter school with a renewal application. On submission of a complete application, the sponsor shall give written notice of its consideration of the renewal application. The sponsor may deny the request for early renewal if, in the sponsor's judgment, the charter holder has failed to do any of the following: (a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework. (b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (d) Complete the obligations of the contract. (e) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt. 3. A sponsor shall review a charter at five-year intervals using a performance framework adopted by the sponsor and may revoke a charter at any time if the charter school breaches one or more provisions of its charter or if the sponsor determines that the charter holder has failed to do any of the following: (a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework. (b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans. (d) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt. 4. In determining whether to renew or revoke a charter holder, the sponsor must consider making sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the sponsor's performance framework as one of the most important factors. 5. Before the sponsor adopts a determination of intent to revoke a charter, the charter holder shall have at least thirty days to address the problems, as necessary or applicable, associated with the reason or reasons for the determination of intent to revoke. The sponsor is not required to provide the charter holder with thirty days to correct the problems associated with the reason or reasons for adopting a determination of intent to revoke if the reason or reasons cannot be remedied, including a failure to submit required financial audits pursuant to subsection E, paragraph 6 of this section and section 15-914, or for a matter of health or safety, or both. Before the sponsor adopts a determination of intent to revoke a charter, the sponsor shall give written notice to the charter holder that includes the reason or reasons for the sponsor's consideration to revoke the charter. Notice may be provided by electronic means or by United States mail and is effective on the date of email or, if sent by United States mail, the earlier of the date of receipt by the charter holder or within five days after the notice is mailed. The determination of whether to proceed to revocation shall be made at a public meeting called for that purpose. J. The charter may be renewed for successive periods of twenty years. K. A charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education, the state board for charter schools, a university, a community college district or a group of community college districts may not be located on the property of a school district unless the district governing board grants this authority. L. A governing board or a school district employee who has control over personnel actions shall not take unlawful reprisal against another employee of the school district because the employee is directly or indirectly involved in an application to establish a charter school. A governing board or a school district employee shall not take unlawful reprisal against an educational program of the school or the school district because an application to establish a charter school proposes to convert all or a portion of the educational program to a charter school. For the purposes of this subsection, "unlawful reprisal" means an action that is taken by a governing board or a school district employee as a direct result of a lawful application to establish a charter school and that is adverse to another employee or an education program and: 1. With respect to a school district employee, results in one or more of the following: (a) Disciplinary or corrective action. (b) Detail, transfer or reassignment. (c) Suspension, demotion or dismissal. (d) An unfavorable performance evaluation. (e) A reduction in pay, benefits or awards. (f) Elimination of the employee's position without a reduction in force by reason of lack of monies or work. (g) Other significant changes in duties or responsibilities that are inconsistent with the employee's salary or employment classification. 2. With respect to an educational program, results in one or more of the following: (a) Suspension or termination of the program. (b) Transfer or reassignment of the program to a less favorable department. (c) Relocation of the program to a less favorable site within the school or school district. (d) Significant reduction or termination of funding for the program. M. Charter schools shall secure insurance for liability and property loss. The governing body of a charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement or otherwise contract to participate in an insurance program offered by a risk retention pool established pursuant to section 11-952.01 or 41-621.01 or the charter school may secure its own insurance coverage. The pool may charge the requesting charter school reasonable fees for any services it performs in connection with the insurance program. N. Charter schools do not have the authority to acquire property by eminent domain. O. A sponsor, including members, officers and employees of the sponsor, is immune from personal liability for all acts done and actions taken in good faith within the scope of its authority. P. Charter school sponsors and this state are not liable for the debts or financial obligations of a charter school or persons who operate charter schools. Q. The sponsor of a charter school shall establish procedures to conduct administrative hearings on determination by the sponsor that grounds exist to revoke a charter. Procedures for administrative hearings shall be similar to procedures prescribed for adjudicative proceedings in title 41, chapter 6, article 10. Except as provided in section 41-1092.08, subsection H, final decisions of the state board of education and the state board for charter schools from hearings conducted pursuant to this subsection are subject to judicial review pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6. R. The sponsoring entity of a charter school shall have oversight and administrative responsibility for the charter schools that it sponsors. In implementing its oversight and administrative responsibilities, the sponsor shall ground its actions in evidence of the charter holder's performance in accordance with the performance framework adopted by the sponsor. The performance framework shall be publicly available, shall be placed on the sponsoring entity's website and shall include: 1. The academic performance expectations of the charter school and the measurement of sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations. 2. The operational expectations of the charter school, including adherence to all applicable laws and obligations of the charter contract. 3. The financial expectations of the charter school. 4. Intervention and improvement policies. S. Charter schools may pledge, assign or encumber their assets to be used as collateral for loans or extensions of credit. T. All property accumulated by a charter school shall remain the property of the charter school. U. Charter schools may not locate a school on property that is less than one-fourth mile from agricultural land regulated pursuant to section 3-365, except that the owner of the agricultural land may agree to comply with the buffer zone requirements of section 3-365. If the owner agrees in writing to comply with the buffer zone requirements and records the agreement in the office of the county recorder as a restrictive covenant running with the title to the land, the charter school may locate a school within the affected buffer zone. The agreement may include any stipulations regarding the charter school, including conditions for future expansion of the school and changes in the operational status of the school that will result in a breach of the agreement. V. A transfer of a charter to another sponsor, a transfer of a charter school site to another sponsor or a transfer of a charter school site to a different charter shall be completed before the beginning of the fiscal year that the transfer is scheduled to become effective. An entity that sponsors charter schools may accept a transferring school after the beginning of the fiscal year if the transfer is approved by the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction shall have the discretion to consider each transfer during the fiscal year on a case-by-case basis. A charter holder seeking to transfer sponsors shall comply with the current charter terms regarding assignment of the charter. A charter holder transferring sponsors shall notify the current sponsor that the transfer has been approved by the new sponsor. W. Notwithstanding subsection V of this section, a charter holder on an improvement plan must notify parents or guardians of registered students of the intent to transfer the charter and the timing of the proposed transfer. On the approved transfer, the new sponsor shall enforce the improvement plan but may modify the plan based on performance. X. Notwithstanding subsection Y of this section, the state board for charter schools shall charge a processing fee to any charter school that amends its contract to participate in Arizona online instruction pursuant to section 15-808. The charter Arizona online instruction processing fund is established consisting of fees collected and administered by the state board for charter schools. The state board for charter schools shall use monies in the fund only for processing contract amendments for charter schools participating in Arizona online instruction. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated. Y. The sponsoring entity may not charge any fees to a charter school that it sponsors unless the sponsor has provided services to the charter school and the fees represent the full value of those services provided by the sponsor. On request, the value of the services provided by the sponsor to the charter school shall be demonstrated to the department of education. Z. Charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement with a presiding judge of the juvenile court to implement a law-related education program as defined in section 15-154. The presiding judge of the juvenile court may assign juvenile probation officers to participate in a law-related education program in any charter school in the county. The cost of juvenile probation officers who participate in the program implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be funded by the charter school. AA. The sponsor of a charter school shall modify previously approved curriculum requirements for a charter school that wishes to participate in the board examination system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title. BB. If a charter school decides not to participate in the board examination system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title, pupils enrolled at that charter school may earn a Grand Canyon diploma by obtaining a passing score on the same board examinations. CC. Notwithstanding subsection Y of this section, a sponsor of charter schools may charge a new charter application processing fee to any applicant. The application fee shall fully cover the cost of application review and any needed technical assistance. Authorizers may approve policies that allow a portion of the fee to be returned to the applicant whose charter is approved. DD. A charter school may choose to provide a preschool program for children with disabilities pursuant to section 15-771. EE. Pursuant to the prescribed graduation requirements adopted by the state board of education, the governing body of a charter school operating a high school may approve a rigorous computer science course that would fulfill a mathematics course required for graduation from high school. The governing body may approve a rigorous computer science course only if the rigorous computer science course includes significant mathematics content and the governing body determines the high school where the rigorous computer science course is offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including competent teachers of computer science. FF. A charter school may allow the use of school property, including school buildings, grounds, buses and equipment, by any person, group or organization for any lawful purpose, including a recreational, educational, political, economic, artistic, moral, scientific, social, religious or other civic or governmental purpose. The charter school may charge a reasonable fee for the use of the school property. GG. A charter school and its employees, including the governing body, or chief administrative officer, are immune from civil liability with respect to all decisions made and actions taken to allow the use of school property, unless the charter school or its employees are guilty of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. This subsection does not limit any other immunity provisions that are prescribed by law. HH. Sponsors authorized pursuant to this section shall submit an annual report to the auditor general on or before October 1. The report shall include: 1. The current number of charters authorized and the number of schools operated by authorized charter holders. 2. The academic, operational and financial performance of the sponsor's charter portfolio as measured by the sponsor's adopted performance framework. 3. For the prior year, the number of new charters approved, the number of charter schools closed and the reason for the closure. 4. The sponsor's application, amendment, renewal and revocation processes, charter contract template and current performance framework as required by this section. II. The auditor general shall prescribe the format for the annual report required by subsection HH of this section and may require that the annual report be submitted electronically. The auditor general shall review the submitted annual reports to ensure that the reports include the required items in subsection HH of this section and shall make the annual reports available on request. If the auditor general finds significant noncompliance or if a sponsor fails to submit the annual report required by subsection HH of this section, on or before December 31 of each year the auditor general shall report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the chairs of the senate and house education committees or their successor committees, and the legislature shall consider revoking the sponsor's authority to sponsor charter schools. END_STATUTE Sec. 3. Section 15-505, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE15-505. Discipline; educator information system; personnel list; definition A. if sufficient monies are available, pursuant to the rules and procedures adopted pursuant to section 15-203, the state board of education shall investigate written complaints alleging that a noncertificated person has engaged in immoral or unprofessional conduct. B. The state board of education may review a complaint and determine whether to take disciplinary action against a noncertificated person who has engaged in immoral or unprofessional conduct, including prohibiting the person's employment at a school district or charter school for up to five years except as otherwise prescribed in section 15-550. if sufficient monies are available, the state board shall adopt rules and procedures for disciplinary action of noncertificated persons that are substantially similar to the rules and procedures for certificated persons. C. Before employing a certificated or noncertificated person, school districts and charter schools shall conduct a search of the prospective employee on the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education. D. A school district or charter school may not employ either of the following in a position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card: 1. A certificated person whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the state board of education has subsequently reinstated the person's certificate. 2. A noncertificated person who has been prohibited from employment at a school district or charter school by the state board of education pursuant to subsection B of this section. E. Each school district and charter school shall annually submit to the department of education a list of certificated and noncertificated persons who are employed at the school district or charter school. The department shall issue guidance to school districts and charter schools regarding this subsection. F. For the purposes of this section, : 1. "noncertificated person": (a) 1. Means a current or prospective employee of a school district or charter school who both: (i) (a) Does not possess a certificate issued pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education under section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 14. (ii) (b) Is required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee. (b) 2. Does not include a person who does not hold a certificate and who is one of the following at a school district or charter school: (i) (a) A transportation employee as defined in section 15-513. (ii) (b) A food service employee or contractor. (iii) (c) A maintenance worker. (iv) (d) An employee or contractor of the school district or charter school that is not required to possess a valid fingerprint clearance card. 2. "Supervised" means being under the direction of and, except for brief periods of time during a school day or school activity, within sight of a certificated employee when providing direct services to pupils. END_STATUTE Sec. 4. Section 15-512, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read: START_STATUTE15-512. Noncertificated personnel; fingerprinting personnel; background investigations; affidavit; civil immunity; violation; classification; definition A. Noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee and who are initially hired by a school district after January 1, 1990 shall be fingerprinted obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-106 as a condition of employment except for personnel who are required as a condition of licensing to be fingerprinted if the license is required for employment or for personnel who were previously employed by a school district and who reestablished employment with that district within one year after the date that the employee terminated employment with the district. A school district may require noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee to obtain a fingerprint clearance card as a condition of employment. Even if the school district does not require a fingerprint clearance card as a condition of employment, noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee may apply for a fingerprint clearance card. A school district may release the results of a background check or communicate whether the person has been issued or denied a fingerprint clearance card to another school district for employment purposes. The employee's fingerprints and the form prescribed in subsection D of this section shall be submitted to the school district within twenty days after the date an employee begins work. A school district may terminate an employee if the information on the form provided under subsection D of this section is inconsistent with the information received from the fingerprint check or the information received in connection with a fingerprint clearance card application. The school district shall develop procedures for fingerprinting employees and submitting identity verified fingerprint cards pursuant to section 15-106. For the purposes of this subsection, "supervised" means being under the direction of and, except for brief periods of time during a school day or school activity, within sight of a certificated employee when providing direct services to pupils. B. Fingerprints submitted pursuant to this section shall be used to conduct a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation. C. The school district shall assume the costs of fingerprint checks and fingerprint clearance cards pursuant to subsection A of this section and may charge these costs to its the school district's fingerprinted employee, except that the school district may not charge the costs of the fingerprint check or the fingerprint clearance card to personnel of the school district who are not paid employees. The fees charged for fingerprinting shall be deposited with the county treasurer who shall credit the deposit to the fingerprint fund of the school district. The costs charged to a fingerprinted employee are limited to and the proceeds in the fund may only be applied to the actual costs, including personnel costs, incurred as a result of the fingerprint checks or the fingerprint clearance cards. The fingerprint fund is a continuing fund that is not subject to reversion. D. Personnel required to be fingerprinted or obtain a fingerprint clearance card as prescribed in subsection A of this section shall certify on forms that are provided by the school and notarized whether they are awaiting trial on or have ever been convicted of or admitted in open court or pursuant to a plea agreement committing any of the following criminal offenses in this state or similar offenses in another jurisdiction, including a charge or conviction that has been vacated, set aside or expunged: 1. Sexual abuse of a minor. 2. Incest. 3. First or second degree murder. 4. Kidnapping. 5. Arson. 6. Sexual assault. 7. Sexual exploitation of a minor. 8. Felony offenses involving contributing to the delinquency of a minor. 9. Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor. 10. Felony offenses involving sale, distribution or transportation of, offer to sell, transport, or distribute or conspiracy to sell, transport or distribute marijuana or dangerous or narcotic drugs. 11. Felony offenses involving the possession or use of marijuana, dangerous drugs or narcotic drugs. 12. Misdemeanor offenses involving the possession or use of marijuana or dangerous drugs. 13. Burglary in the first degree. 14. Burglary in the second or third degree. 15. Aggravated or armed robbery. 16. Robbery. 17. A dangerous crime against children as defined in section 13-705. 18. Child abuse. 19. Sexual conduct with a minor. 20. Molestation of a child. 21. Manslaughter. 22. Aggravated assault. 23. Assault. 24. Exploitation of minors involving drug offenses. E. A school district may refuse to hire or may review or terminate personnel who have been convicted of or admitted committing any of the criminal offenses prescribed in subsection D of this section or of a similar offense in another jurisdiction. A school district that is considering terminating an employee pursuant to this subsection shall hold a hearing to determine whether a person already employed shall be terminated. In conducting a review, the governing board shall utilize the guidelines, including the list of offenses that are not subject to review, as prescribed by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-534, subsection C. In considering whether to hire or terminate the employment of a person, the governing board shall take into account the following factors: 1. The nature of the crime and the potential for crimes against children. 2. Offenses committed as a minor for which proceedings were held under the jurisdiction of a juvenile or an adult court. 3. Offenses that have been expunged by a court of competent jurisdiction, if the person has been pardoned or if the person's sentence has been commuted. 4. The employment record of the person since the commission of the crime if the crime was committed more than ten years before the governing board's consideration of whether to hire or terminate the person. 5. The reliability of the evidence of an admission of a crime unless made under oath in a court of competent jurisdiction. F. Before a person is employed with the school district, the district shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of the person to obtain information and recommendations that may be relevant to the person's fitness for employment, including conducting a search of the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education pursuant to section 15-505. A school district may not employ in a position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card a person against whom the state board of education has taken disciplinary action as prescribed in section 15-505 or whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the state board has subsequently reinstated the person's certificate. A governing board shall adopt procedures for conducting background investigations required by this subsection, including one or more standard forms for use by school district officials to document their efforts to obtain information from previous employers. A school district may provide information received as a result of a background investigation required by this section to any other school district, to any other public school and to any public entity that agrees pursuant to a contract or intergovernmental agreement to perform background investigations for school districts or other public schools. School districts and other public schools may enter into intergovernmental agreements pursuant to section 11-952 and cooperative purchasing agreements pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with section 15-213 for the purposes of performing or contracting for the performance of background investigations and for sharing the results of background investigations required by this subsection. Information obtained about an employee or applicant for employment by any school district or other public school in the performance of a background investigation, including any records indicating that a current or former employee of a school or school district was disciplined for violating policies of the school district governing board pursuant to section 15-153, may be retained by that school district or the other public school or by any public entity that agrees pursuant to contract to perform background investigations for school districts or other public schools and may be provided to any school district or other public school that is performing a background investigation required by this subsection. G. A school district may fingerprint or require any other employee of the district to obtain a fingerprint clearance card, whether paid or not, or any other applicant for employment with the school district not otherwise required by this section to be fingerprinted or obtain a fingerprint clearance card on the condition that the school district may not charge the costs of the fingerprint check or fingerprint clearance card to the fingerprinted applicant or nonpaid employee. H. A contractor, subcontractor or vendor or any employee of a contractor, subcontractor or vendor who is contracted to provide services on a regular basis at an individual school shall obtain a valid fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. A school district governing board shall adopt policies to exempt a person from the requirements of this subsection if the person's normal job duties are not likely to result in independent access to or unsupervised contact with pupils. A school district, its governing board members, its school council members and its employees are exempt from civil liability for the consequences of adoption and implementation of policies and procedures pursuant to this subsection unless the school district, its school district governing board members, its school council members or its school district employees are guilty of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. I. Subsection A of this section does not apply to a person who provides instruction or other education services to a pupil, with the written consent of the parent or guardian of the pupil, under a work release program, advance placement course or other education program that occurs off school property. J. I. Public entities that agree pursuant to a contract to perform background investigations, public schools, the department of education, the state board of education and previous employers who provide information pursuant to this section are immune from civil liability unless the information provided is false and is acted on by the school district to the harm of the employee and the public entity, the public school, the previous employer, the state board of education or the department of education knows the information is false or acts with reckless disregard of the information's truth or falsity. A school district that relies on information obtained pursuant to this section in making employment decisions is immune from civil liability for use of the information unless the information obtained is false and the school district knows the information is false or acts with reckless disregard of the information's truth or falsity. K. J. The superintendent of a school district or chief administrator of a charter school or the person's designee who is responsible for implementing the governing board's policy regarding background investigations required by subsection F of this section and who fails to carry out that responsibility is guilty of unprofessional conduct and is subject to disciplinary action by the state board. L. K. A school district may hire noncertificated personnel before receiving the results of the fingerprint check or a fingerprint clearance card but may terminate employment if the information on the form provided in subsection D of this section is inconsistent with the information received from the fingerprint check or the fingerprint clearance card. In addition to any other conditions or requirements deemed necessary by the superintendent of public instruction to protect the health and safety of pupils, a school district may hire noncertificated personnel who are required or allowed unsupervised contact with to provide services directly to pupils before the results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued if the school district does all of the following: 1. Documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placing the applicant before a fingerprint check could be completed or a fingerprint clearance card could be issued. 2. Ensures that the department of public safety completes a statewide and federal criminal history information check on the applicant every one hundred twenty days until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied. 3. Obtains references from the applicant's current employer and two most recent previous employers, except for applicants who have been employed for at least five years by the applicant's most recent employer. 4. Provides general supervision of the applicant until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied. 5. Reports to the superintendent of public instruction on June 30 and December 31 each year the number of applicants hired before the completion of a fingerprint check or the issuance of a fingerprint clearance card. In addition, the school district shall report the number of applicants for whom fingerprint checks were not received or fingerprint clearance cards were not issued after one hundred twenty days and after one hundred seventy-five days of hire. M. l. Notwithstanding any other law, this section does not apply to pupils who attend school in a school district and who are also employed by a school district. N. m. A person who makes a false statement, representation or certification in any application for employment with the school district is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor. O. n. For the purposes of this section, "background investigation" means any communication with an employee's or applicant's former employer that concerns the education, training, experience, qualifications and job performance of the employee or applicant and that is used for the purpose of evaluating the employee or applicant for employment. Background investigation does not include the results of any state or federal criminal history records check. END_STATUTE Sec. 5. Appropriation; state board of education; intent A. The sum of $1,200,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the state board of education to implement section 15-505, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act. B. The legislature intends that the appropriation made in subsection A of this section be considered ongoing funding in future years.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 15-106, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE15-106. Identity verified fingerprints
An applicant who applies for a new teaching certificate in order to teach in a school district, a participant in field experience or student teaching in this state, an applicant who applies for a renewal of an existing teaching certificate in order to continue teaching in a school district, an applicant who is required for the first time to be fingerprinted in order to teach in a charter school and an applicant who is required to renew fingerprints in order to continue teaching in a charter school pursuant to section 15-183, an applicant who is required to be fingerprinted or to obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-512 and any person who is contracted by this state, by a school district or by a charter school to provide tutoring services shall submit for an identity verified fingerprint card that will be used by the department of public safety to process the fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1 as follows:
1. The applicant shall submit a request for an application packet from the department of public safety.
2. The application packet shall be contained in an envelope specified by the department of public safety and shall include the following:
(a) A blank applicant fingerprint card.
(b) An application for a fingerprint clearance card.
(c) Instructions for the return of returning the application packet.
3. A school district or charter school may contract for fingerprinting services through an entity or entities and shall provide a copy of the instructions to the entity or entities as provided by the department of public safety regarding the submission of identity verified fingerprints. If a school district or charter school elects to provide fingerprinting services, the school district or charter school shall authorize an individual employed by the school district or charter school to administer the services.
4. The department of public safety shall provide instructions to law enforcement agencies and public schools regarding the submission of identity verified fingerprints. The department of public safety shall reject the application for a fingerprint clearance card if the application is not correct or is not submitted according to the instructions provided by the department of public safety.
5. The applicant, at the time that identity verified fingerprints are taken, shall provide the law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity with a completed application form for a fingerprint clearance card, the fingerprint card with the requisite demographic information and the required fee in the form of a money order or cashier's check made out to the department of public safety. The law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity shall verify the identity of the applicant through recognized means of photographic identification and a comparison of the demographic information on the photographic identification against the demographic information on the application form and the fingerprint card. The authorized person taking the fingerprints shall enter on the application form a description of the photographic identification presented by the applicant. The law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity shall place the completed fingerprint card, the completed application form or any other form required by the department of public safety and the fee provided by the applicant in the postage prepaid envelope provided by the department of public safety and mail it to the fingerprinting division in the department of public safety. A law enforcement agency, school district, charter school or other entity may charge the applicant a reasonable fee for services provided pursuant to this section.
6. Fingerprints submitted electronically or through an internet-based system pursuant to section 41-1758.01 shall include a completed application for a fingerprint clearance card, the requisite applicant demographic information and the required fee, and shall be identity verified in accordance with instructions provided by the department of public safety. The department shall reject the application for a fingerprint clearance card if the application is not correct or is not submitted according to the department's instructions. The entity or entities contracted by the department shall comply with:
(a) All information privacy and security measures and submission standards established by the department.
(b) The information technology security policy approved by the department.
7. The department of public safety shall process the application packet in the same manner prescribed for fingerprint clearance cards issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1.
8. The department of public safety shall provide for digital storage and retrieval of identity verified fingerprints taken pursuant to this section. The fingerprints taken pursuant to this section shall be digitally designated in the fingerprint archive as identity verified fingerprint records.
9. A person who has a set of identity verified fingerprints on file with the department of public safety pursuant to this section shall is not be required to submit a new set of fingerprints to the department of public safety to renew the person's fingerprint clearance card. On receipt of the required application form and fee for a renewal fingerprint clearance card from a person required to submit identity verified fingerprints, the department of public safety shall attempt to use the electronic copy of the applicant's identity verified fingerprints that are retained pursuant to this section to conduct the state and national criminal records checks. The department of public safety may require the applicant to submit a new set of identity verified fingerprints if the department of public safety determines that the original fingerprints submitted have been lost or damaged or are found to be otherwise of insufficient quality to conduct a valid technical fingerprint search either by the department of public safety or the federal bureau of investigation.
10. A person who participates in a teacher preparation program that is approved by the state board of education and who does not participate in field experience or student teaching in this state shall is not be required to obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to this section. END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Section 15-183, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE15-183. Charter schools; application; requirements; immunity; exemptions; renewal of application; reprisal; fee; funds; annual reports
A. An applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall apply in writing to a proposed sponsor as prescribed in subsection C of this section. The application, application process and application time frames shall be posted on the sponsor's website and shall include the following, as specified in the application adopted by the sponsor:
1. A detailed educational plan.
2. A detailed business plan.
3. A detailed operational plan.
4. Any other materials required by the sponsor.
B. The sponsor of a charter school may contract with a public body, private person or private organization for the purpose of establishing a charter school pursuant to this article.
C. The sponsor of a charter school may be either the state board of education, the state board for charter schools, a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district or a group of community college districts, subject to the following requirements:
1. An applicant may not apply for sponsorship to any person or entity other than those prescribed in this subsection.
2. The applicant may apply to the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. Notwithstanding any other law, neither the state board for charter schools nor the state board of education shall grant a charter to a school district governing board for a new charter school or for the conversion of an existing district public school to a charter school. The state board of education or the state board for charter schools may approve the application if the application meets the requirements of this article and may approve the charter if the proposed sponsor determines, within its sole discretion, that the applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school and that the applicant is applying to operate as a separate charter holder by considering factors such as whether:
(a) The schools have separate governing bodies, governing body membership, staff, facilities and student population.
(b) Daily operations are carried out by different administrators.
(c) The applicant intends to have an affiliation agreement for the purpose of providing enrollment preferences.
(d) The applicant's charter management organization has multiple charter holders serving varied grade configurations on one physical site or nearby sites serving one community.
(e) The applicant is reconstituting an existing school site population at the same or new site.
(f) The applicant is reconstituting an existing grade configuration from a prior charter holder with at least one grade remaining on the original site with the other grade or grades moving to a new site. The state board of education or the state board for charter schools may approve any charter schools transferring charters. If the state board of education or the state board for charter schools rejects the preliminary application, the state board of education or the state board for charter schools shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the rejection and of suggestions for improving the application. An applicant may submit a revised application for reconsideration by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. The applicant may request, and the state board of education or the state board for charter schools may provide, technical assistance to improve the application.
3. The applicant may submit the application to a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district or a group of community college districts. A university, a community college district or a group of community college districts shall not grant a charter to a school district governing board for a new charter school or for the conversion of an existing district public school to a charter school. A university, a community college district or a group of community college districts may approve the application if it meets the requirements of this article and if the proposed sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that the applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school.
4. Each applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall submit a full set of fingerprints to the approving agency for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. If an applicant will have direct contact with students, the applicant shall possess a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation. The criminal records check shall be completed before the issuance of a charter.
5. All persons engaged in instructional work directly as a classroom, laboratory or other teacher or indirectly as a supervisory teacher, speech therapist or principal and all charter representatives, charter school governing body members and officers, directors, members and partners of the charter holder shall have a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1, unless the person is a volunteer or guest speaker who is accompanied in the classroom by a person with a valid fingerprint clearance card. A charter school shall not employ in any position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card a person against whom the state board of education has taken disciplinary action as prescribed in section 15-505 or whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the person's certificate has been subsequently reinstated by the state board of education. All other personnel shall be fingerprint checked pursuant to are subject to the fingerprint check or fingerprint clearance card requirements prescribed by section 15-512. , or The charter school may require those personnel who are not subject to fingerprint check requirements pursuant to section 15-512 to obtain a fingerprint clearance card issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. Before employment, the charter school shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of a person to obtain information and recommendations that may be relevant to the person's fitness for employment as prescribed in section 15-512, subsection F, including checking the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education pursuant to section 15-505. The charter school shall notify the department of public safety if the charter school or sponsor receives credible evidence that a person who possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card is arrested for or is charged with an offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B. A person who is employed at a charter school that has met the requirements of this paragraph is not required to meet any additional requirements that are established by the department of education or that may be established by rule by the state board of education. The state board of education may not adopt rules that exceed the requirements for persons who are qualified to teach in charter schools prescribed in title I of the every student succeeds act (P.L. 114-95) or the individuals with disabilities education improvement act of 2004 (P.L. 108-446). Charter schools may hire personnel who have not yet received before the results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued if proof is provided of the submission of an application to the department of public safety for a fingerprint check or a fingerprint clearance card and if the charter school that is seeking to hire the applicant does all of the following:
(a) Documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placing the applicant before the applicant receives results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued.
(b) Ensures that the department of public safety completes a statewide and federal criminal records check on the applicant. A statewide criminal records check shall be completed by the department of public safety every one hundred twenty days until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.
(c) Obtains references from the applicant's current employer and the two most recent previous employers, except for applicants who have been employed for at least five years by the applicant's most recent employer.
(d) Provides general supervision of the applicant until the date that the results of the fingerprint check are received or the fingerprint card is obtained.
(e) Completes a search of criminal records in all local jurisdictions outside of this state in which the applicant has lived in the previous five years.
(f) Verifies the fingerprint status of the applicant with the department of public safety.
6. A charter school that complies with the fingerprinting requirements of this section shall be deemed to have complied with section 15-512 and is entitled to the same rights and protections provided to school districts by section 15-512.
7. If a charter school operator is not already subject to a public meeting or hearing by the municipality in which the charter school is located, the operator of a charter school shall conduct a public meeting at least thirty days before the charter school operator opens a site or sites for the charter school. The charter school operator shall post notices of the public meeting in at least three different locations that are within three hundred feet of the proposed charter school site.
8. A person who is employed by a charter school or who is an applicant for employment with a charter school, who is arrested for or charged with a nonappealable offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B and who does not immediately report the arrest or charge to the person's supervisor or potential employer is guilty of unprofessional conduct and the person shall be immediately dismissed from employment with the charter school or immediately excluded from potential employment with the charter school.
9. A person who is employed by a charter school and who is convicted of any nonappealable offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B or is convicted of any nonappealable offense that amounts to unprofessional conduct under section 15-550 shall immediately do all of the following:
(a) Surrender any certificates issued by the department of education.
(b) Notify the person's employer or potential employer of the conviction.
(c) Notify the department of public safety of the conviction.
(d) Surrender the person's fingerprint clearance card.
D. An entity that is authorized to sponsor charter schools pursuant to this article has no legal authority over or responsibility for a charter school sponsored by a different entity. This subsection does not apply to the state board of education's duty to exercise general supervision over the public school system pursuant to section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 1.
E. The charter of a charter school shall do all of the following:
1. Ensure compliance with federal, state and local rules, regulations and statutes relating to health, safety, civil rights and insurance. The department of education shall publish a list of relevant rules, regulations and statutes to notify charter schools of their responsibilities under this paragraph.
2. Ensure that it is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies and employment practices and all other operations.
3. Ensure that it provides a comprehensive program of instruction for at least a kindergarten program or any grade between grades one and twelve, except that a school may offer this curriculum with an emphasis on a specific learning philosophy or style or certain subject areas such as mathematics, science, fine arts, performance arts or foreign language.
4. Ensure that it designs a method to measure pupil progress toward the pupil outcomes adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741.01, including participation in the statewide assessment and the nationally standardized norm-referenced achievement test as designated by the state board and the completion and distribution of an annual report card as prescribed in chapter 7, article 3 of this title.
5. Ensure that, except as provided in this article and in its charter, it is exempt from all statutes and rules relating to schools, governing boards and school districts.
6. Ensure that, except as provided in this article, it is subject to the same financial and electronic data submission requirements as a school district, including the uniform system of financial records as prescribed in chapter 2, article 4 of this title, procurement rules as prescribed in section 15-213 and audit requirements. The auditor general shall conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the uniform system of financial records to ensure that the provisions of the uniform system of financial records that relate to charter schools are in accordance with commonly accepted accounting principles used by private business. A school's charter may include exceptions to the requirements of this paragraph that are necessary as determined by the university, the community college district, the group of community college districts, the state board of education or the state board for charter schools. The department of education or the office of the auditor general may conduct financial, program or compliance audits.
7. Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws relating to the education of children with disabilities in the same manner as a school district.
8. Ensure that it provides for a governing body for the charter school that is responsible for the policy decisions of the charter school. Notwithstanding section 1-216, if there is a vacancy or vacancies on the governing body, a majority of the remaining members of the governing body constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, unless that quorum is prohibited by the charter school's operating agreement.
9. Ensure that it provides a minimum of one hundred eighty instructional days before June 30 of each fiscal year unless it is operating on an alternative calendar approved by its sponsor. The superintendent of public instruction shall adjust the apportionment schedule accordingly to accommodate a charter school utilizing an alternative calendar.
F. A charter school shall collect and maintain information about each teacher's educational and teaching background and experience in a particular academic content subject area. A charter school shall either post the information on the charter school's website or make the information available for inspection on request of parents and guardians of pupils enrolled at the charter school. This subsection does not require any charter school to release personally identifiable information in relation to any teacher, including the teacher's address, salary, social security number or telephone number.
G. The charter of a charter school may be amended at the request of the governing body of the charter school and on the approval of the sponsor.
H. Charter schools may contract, sue and be sued.
I. The charter is effective for fifteen years from the first day of the fiscal year as specified in the charter, subject to the following:
1. At least eighteen months before the charter expires, the sponsor shall notify the charter school that the charter school may apply for renewal and shall make the renewal application available to the charter school. A charter school that elects to apply for renewal shall file a complete renewal application at least fifteen months before the charter expires. A sponsor shall give written notice of its intent not to renew the charter school's request for renewal to the charter school at least twelve months before the expiration of the charter. The sponsor shall make data used in making renewal decisions available to the school and the public and shall provide a public report summarizing the evidence basis for each decision. The sponsor may deny the request for renewal if, in its judgment, the charter holder has failed to do any of the following:
(a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework.
(b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(d) Complete the obligations of the contract.
(e) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt.
2. A charter operator may apply for early renewal. At least nine months before the charter school's intended renewal consideration, the operator of the charter school shall submit a letter of intent to the sponsor to apply for early renewal. The sponsor shall review fiscal audits and academic performance data for the charter school that are annually collected by the sponsor, review the current contract between the sponsor and the charter school and provide the qualifying charter school with a renewal application. On submission of a complete application, the sponsor shall give written notice of its consideration of the renewal application. The sponsor may deny the request for early renewal if, in the sponsor's judgment, the charter holder has failed to do any of the following:
(a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework.
(b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(d) Complete the obligations of the contract.
(e) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt.
3. A sponsor shall review a charter at five-year intervals using a performance framework adopted by the sponsor and may revoke a charter at any time if the charter school breaches one or more provisions of its charter or if the sponsor determines that the charter holder has failed to do any of the following:
(a) Meet or make sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the performance framework.
(b) Meet the operational performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(c) Meet the financial performance expectations set forth in the performance framework or any improvement plans.
(d) Comply with this article or any provision of law from which the charter school is not exempt.
4. In determining whether to renew or revoke a charter holder, the sponsor must consider making sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations set forth in the sponsor's performance framework as one of the most important factors.
5. Before the sponsor adopts a determination of intent to revoke a charter, the charter holder shall have at least thirty days to address the problems, as necessary or applicable, associated with the reason or reasons for the determination of intent to revoke. The sponsor is not required to provide the charter holder with thirty days to correct the problems associated with the reason or reasons for adopting a determination of intent to revoke if the reason or reasons cannot be remedied, including a failure to submit required financial audits pursuant to subsection E, paragraph 6 of this section and section 15-914, or for a matter of health or safety, or both. Before the sponsor adopts a determination of intent to revoke a charter, the sponsor shall give written notice to the charter holder that includes the reason or reasons for the sponsor's consideration to revoke the charter. Notice may be provided by electronic means or by United States mail and is effective on the date of email or, if sent by United States mail, the earlier of the date of receipt by the charter holder or within five days after the notice is mailed. The determination of whether to proceed to revocation shall be made at a public meeting called for that purpose.
J. The charter may be renewed for successive periods of twenty years.
K. A charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education, the state board for charter schools, a university, a community college district or a group of community college districts may not be located on the property of a school district unless the district governing board grants this authority.
L. A governing board or a school district employee who has control over personnel actions shall not take unlawful reprisal against another employee of the school district because the employee is directly or indirectly involved in an application to establish a charter school. A governing board or a school district employee shall not take unlawful reprisal against an educational program of the school or the school district because an application to establish a charter school proposes to convert all or a portion of the educational program to a charter school. For the purposes of this subsection, "unlawful reprisal" means an action that is taken by a governing board or a school district employee as a direct result of a lawful application to establish a charter school and that is adverse to another employee or an education program and:
1. With respect to a school district employee, results in one or more of the following:
(a) Disciplinary or corrective action.
(b) Detail, transfer or reassignment.
(c) Suspension, demotion or dismissal.
(d) An unfavorable performance evaluation.
(e) A reduction in pay, benefits or awards.
(f) Elimination of the employee's position without a reduction in force by reason of lack of monies or work.
(g) Other significant changes in duties or responsibilities that are inconsistent with the employee's salary or employment classification.
2. With respect to an educational program, results in one or more of the following:
(a) Suspension or termination of the program.
(b) Transfer or reassignment of the program to a less favorable department.
(c) Relocation of the program to a less favorable site within the school or school district.
(d) Significant reduction or termination of funding for the program.
M. Charter schools shall secure insurance for liability and property loss. The governing body of a charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement or otherwise contract to participate in an insurance program offered by a risk retention pool established pursuant to section 11-952.01 or 41-621.01 or the charter school may secure its own insurance coverage. The pool may charge the requesting charter school reasonable fees for any services it performs in connection with the insurance program.
N. Charter schools do not have the authority to acquire property by eminent domain.
O. A sponsor, including members, officers and employees of the sponsor, is immune from personal liability for all acts done and actions taken in good faith within the scope of its authority.
P. Charter school sponsors and this state are not liable for the debts or financial obligations of a charter school or persons who operate charter schools.
Q. The sponsor of a charter school shall establish procedures to conduct administrative hearings on determination by the sponsor that grounds exist to revoke a charter. Procedures for administrative hearings shall be similar to procedures prescribed for adjudicative proceedings in title 41, chapter 6, article 10. Except as provided in section 41-1092.08, subsection H, final decisions of the state board of education and the state board for charter schools from hearings conducted pursuant to this subsection are subject to judicial review pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6.
R. The sponsoring entity of a charter school shall have oversight and administrative responsibility for the charter schools that it sponsors. In implementing its oversight and administrative responsibilities, the sponsor shall ground its actions in evidence of the charter holder's performance in accordance with the performance framework adopted by the sponsor. The performance framework shall be publicly available, shall be placed on the sponsoring entity's website and shall include:
1. The academic performance expectations of the charter school and the measurement of sufficient progress toward the academic performance expectations.
2. The operational expectations of the charter school, including adherence to all applicable laws and obligations of the charter contract.
3. The financial expectations of the charter school.
4. Intervention and improvement policies.
S. Charter schools may pledge, assign or encumber their assets to be used as collateral for loans or extensions of credit.
T. All property accumulated by a charter school shall remain the property of the charter school.
U. Charter schools may not locate a school on property that is less than one-fourth mile from agricultural land regulated pursuant to section 3-365, except that the owner of the agricultural land may agree to comply with the buffer zone requirements of section 3-365. If the owner agrees in writing to comply with the buffer zone requirements and records the agreement in the office of the county recorder as a restrictive covenant running with the title to the land, the charter school may locate a school within the affected buffer zone. The agreement may include any stipulations regarding the charter school, including conditions for future expansion of the school and changes in the operational status of the school that will result in a breach of the agreement.
V. A transfer of a charter to another sponsor, a transfer of a charter school site to another sponsor or a transfer of a charter school site to a different charter shall be completed before the beginning of the fiscal year that the transfer is scheduled to become effective. An entity that sponsors charter schools may accept a transferring school after the beginning of the fiscal year if the transfer is approved by the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction shall have the discretion to consider each transfer during the fiscal year on a case-by-case basis. A charter holder seeking to transfer sponsors shall comply with the current charter terms regarding assignment of the charter. A charter holder transferring sponsors shall notify the current sponsor that the transfer has been approved by the new sponsor.
W. Notwithstanding subsection V of this section, a charter holder on an improvement plan must notify parents or guardians of registered students of the intent to transfer the charter and the timing of the proposed transfer. On the approved transfer, the new sponsor shall enforce the improvement plan but may modify the plan based on performance.
X. Notwithstanding subsection Y of this section, the state board for charter schools shall charge a processing fee to any charter school that amends its contract to participate in Arizona online instruction pursuant to section 15-808. The charter Arizona online instruction processing fund is established consisting of fees collected and administered by the state board for charter schools. The state board for charter schools shall use monies in the fund only for processing contract amendments for charter schools participating in Arizona online instruction. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.
Y. The sponsoring entity may not charge any fees to a charter school that it sponsors unless the sponsor has provided services to the charter school and the fees represent the full value of those services provided by the sponsor. On request, the value of the services provided by the sponsor to the charter school shall be demonstrated to the department of education.
Z. Charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement with a presiding judge of the juvenile court to implement a law-related education program as defined in section 15-154. The presiding judge of the juvenile court may assign juvenile probation officers to participate in a law-related education program in any charter school in the county. The cost of juvenile probation officers who participate in the program implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be funded by the charter school.
AA. The sponsor of a charter school shall modify previously approved curriculum requirements for a charter school that wishes to participate in the board examination system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title.
BB. If a charter school decides not to participate in the board examination system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title, pupils enrolled at that charter school may earn a Grand Canyon diploma by obtaining a passing score on the same board examinations.
CC. Notwithstanding subsection Y of this section, a sponsor of charter schools may charge a new charter application processing fee to any applicant. The application fee shall fully cover the cost of application review and any needed technical assistance. Authorizers may approve policies that allow a portion of the fee to be returned to the applicant whose charter is approved.
DD. A charter school may choose to provide a preschool program for children with disabilities pursuant to section 15-771.
EE. Pursuant to the prescribed graduation requirements adopted by the state board of education, the governing body of a charter school operating a high school may approve a rigorous computer science course that would fulfill a mathematics course required for graduation from high school. The governing body may approve a rigorous computer science course only if the rigorous computer science course includes significant mathematics content and the governing body determines the high school where the rigorous computer science course is offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including competent teachers of computer science.
FF. A charter school may allow the use of school property, including school buildings, grounds, buses and equipment, by any person, group or organization for any lawful purpose, including a recreational, educational, political, economic, artistic, moral, scientific, social, religious or other civic or governmental purpose. The charter school may charge a reasonable fee for the use of the school property.
GG. A charter school and its employees, including the governing body, or chief administrative officer, are immune from civil liability with respect to all decisions made and actions taken to allow the use of school property, unless the charter school or its employees are guilty of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. This subsection does not limit any other immunity provisions that are prescribed by law.
HH. Sponsors authorized pursuant to this section shall submit an annual report to the auditor general on or before October 1. The report shall include:
1. The current number of charters authorized and the number of schools operated by authorized charter holders.
2. The academic, operational and financial performance of the sponsor's charter portfolio as measured by the sponsor's adopted performance framework.
3. For the prior year, the number of new charters approved, the number of charter schools closed and the reason for the closure.
4. The sponsor's application, amendment, renewal and revocation processes, charter contract template and current performance framework as required by this section.
II. The auditor general shall prescribe the format for the annual report required by subsection HH of this section and may require that the annual report be submitted electronically. The auditor general shall review the submitted annual reports to ensure that the reports include the required items in subsection HH of this section and shall make the annual reports available on request. If the auditor general finds significant noncompliance or if a sponsor fails to submit the annual report required by subsection HH of this section, on or before December 31 of each year the auditor general shall report to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the chairs of the senate and house education committees or their successor committees, and the legislature shall consider revoking the sponsor's authority to sponsor charter schools. END_STATUTE
Sec. 3. Section 15-505, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE15-505. Discipline; educator information system; personnel list; definition
A. if sufficient monies are available, pursuant to the rules and procedures adopted pursuant to section 15-203, the state board of education shall investigate written complaints alleging that a noncertificated person has engaged in immoral or unprofessional conduct.
B. The state board of education may review a complaint and determine whether to take disciplinary action against a noncertificated person who has engaged in immoral or unprofessional conduct, including prohibiting the person's employment at a school district or charter school for up to five years except as otherwise prescribed in section 15-550. if sufficient monies are available, the state board shall adopt rules and procedures for disciplinary action of noncertificated persons that are substantially similar to the rules and procedures for certificated persons.
C. Before employing a certificated or noncertificated person, school districts and charter schools shall conduct a search of the prospective employee on the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education.
D. A school district or charter school may not employ either of the following in a position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card:
1. A certificated person whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the state board of education has subsequently reinstated the person's certificate.
2. A noncertificated person who has been prohibited from employment at a school district or charter school by the state board of education pursuant to subsection B of this section.
E. Each school district and charter school shall annually submit to the department of education a list of certificated and noncertificated persons who are employed at the school district or charter school. The department shall issue guidance to school districts and charter schools regarding this subsection.
F. For the purposes of this section, :
1. "noncertificated person":
(a) 1. Means a current or prospective employee of a school district or charter school who both:
(i) (a) Does not possess a certificate issued pursuant to rules adopted by the state board of education under section 15-203, subsection A, paragraph 14.
(ii) (b) Is required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee.
(b) 2. Does not include a person who does not hold a certificate and who is one of the following at a school district or charter school:
(i) (a) A transportation employee as defined in section 15-513.
(ii) (b) A food service employee or contractor.
(iii) (c) A maintenance worker.
(iv) (d) An employee or contractor of the school district or charter school that is not required to possess a valid fingerprint clearance card.
2. "Supervised" means being under the direction of and, except for brief periods of time during a school day or school activity, within sight of a certificated employee when providing direct services to pupils. END_STATUTE
Sec. 4. Section 15-512, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
START_STATUTE15-512. Noncertificated personnel; fingerprinting personnel; background investigations; affidavit; civil immunity; violation; classification; definition
A. Noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee and who are initially hired by a school district after January 1, 1990 shall be fingerprinted obtain a fingerprint clearance card pursuant to section 15-106 as a condition of employment except for personnel who are required as a condition of licensing to be fingerprinted if the license is required for employment or for personnel who were previously employed by a school district and who reestablished employment with that district within one year after the date that the employee terminated employment with the district. A school district may require noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee to obtain a fingerprint clearance card as a condition of employment. Even if the school district does not require a fingerprint clearance card as a condition of employment, noncertificated personnel and personnel who are not paid employees of the school district and who are not either the parent or the guardian of a pupil who attends school in the school district but who are required or allowed to provide services directly to pupils without being supervised by a certificated employee may apply for a fingerprint clearance card. A school district may release the results of a background check or communicate whether the person has been issued or denied a fingerprint clearance card to another school district for employment purposes. The employee's fingerprints and the form prescribed in subsection D of this section shall be submitted to the school district within twenty days after the date an employee begins work. A school district may terminate an employee if the information on the form provided under subsection D of this section is inconsistent with the information received from the fingerprint check or the information received in connection with a fingerprint clearance card application. The school district shall develop procedures for fingerprinting employees and submitting identity verified fingerprint cards pursuant to section 15-106. For the purposes of this subsection, "supervised" means being under the direction of and, except for brief periods of time during a school day or school activity, within sight of a certificated employee when providing direct services to pupils.
B. Fingerprints submitted pursuant to this section shall be used to conduct a state and federal criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. The department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of investigation.
C. The school district shall assume the costs of fingerprint checks and fingerprint clearance cards pursuant to subsection A of this section and may charge these costs to its the school district's fingerprinted employee, except that the school district may not charge the costs of the fingerprint check or the fingerprint clearance card to personnel of the school district who are not paid employees. The fees charged for fingerprinting shall be deposited with the county treasurer who shall credit the deposit to the fingerprint fund of the school district. The costs charged to a fingerprinted employee are limited to and the proceeds in the fund may only be applied to the actual costs, including personnel costs, incurred as a result of the fingerprint checks or the fingerprint clearance cards. The fingerprint fund is a continuing fund that is not subject to reversion.
D. Personnel required to be fingerprinted or obtain a fingerprint clearance card as prescribed in subsection A of this section shall certify on forms that are provided by the school and notarized whether they are awaiting trial on or have ever been convicted of or admitted in open court or pursuant to a plea agreement committing any of the following criminal offenses in this state or similar offenses in another jurisdiction, including a charge or conviction that has been vacated, set aside or expunged:
1. Sexual abuse of a minor.
2. Incest.
3. First or second degree murder.
4. Kidnapping.
5. Arson.
6. Sexual assault.
7. Sexual exploitation of a minor.
8. Felony offenses involving contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
9. Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor.
10. Felony offenses involving sale, distribution or transportation of, offer to sell, transport, or distribute or conspiracy to sell, transport or distribute marijuana or dangerous or narcotic drugs.
11. Felony offenses involving the possession or use of marijuana, dangerous drugs or narcotic drugs.
12. Misdemeanor offenses involving the possession or use of marijuana or dangerous drugs.
13. Burglary in the first degree.
14. Burglary in the second or third degree.
15. Aggravated or armed robbery.
16. Robbery.
17. A dangerous crime against children as defined in section 13-705.
18. Child abuse.
19. Sexual conduct with a minor.
20. Molestation of a child.
21. Manslaughter.
22. Aggravated assault.
23. Assault.
24. Exploitation of minors involving drug offenses.
E. A school district may refuse to hire or may review or terminate personnel who have been convicted of or admitted committing any of the criminal offenses prescribed in subsection D of this section or of a similar offense in another jurisdiction. A school district that is considering terminating an employee pursuant to this subsection shall hold a hearing to determine whether a person already employed shall be terminated. In conducting a review, the governing board shall utilize the guidelines, including the list of offenses that are not subject to review, as prescribed by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-534, subsection C. In considering whether to hire or terminate the employment of a person, the governing board shall take into account the following factors:
1. The nature of the crime and the potential for crimes against children.
2. Offenses committed as a minor for which proceedings were held under the jurisdiction of a juvenile or an adult court.
3. Offenses that have been expunged by a court of competent jurisdiction, if the person has been pardoned or if the person's sentence has been commuted.
4. The employment record of the person since the commission of the crime if the crime was committed more than ten years before the governing board's consideration of whether to hire or terminate the person.
5. The reliability of the evidence of an admission of a crime unless made under oath in a court of competent jurisdiction.
F. Before a person is employed with the school district, the district shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of the person to obtain information and recommendations that may be relevant to the person's fitness for employment, including conducting a search of the educator information system that is maintained by the department of education pursuant to section 15-505. A school district may not employ in a position that requires a valid fingerprint clearance card a person against whom the state board of education has taken disciplinary action as prescribed in section 15-505 or whose certificate has been suspended, surrendered or revoked, unless the state board has subsequently reinstated the person's certificate. A governing board shall adopt procedures for conducting background investigations required by this subsection, including one or more standard forms for use by school district officials to document their efforts to obtain information from previous employers. A school district may provide information received as a result of a background investigation required by this section to any other school district, to any other public school and to any public entity that agrees pursuant to a contract or intergovernmental agreement to perform background investigations for school districts or other public schools. School districts and other public schools may enter into intergovernmental agreements pursuant to section 11-952 and cooperative purchasing agreements pursuant to rules adopted in accordance with section 15-213 for the purposes of performing or contracting for the performance of background investigations and for sharing the results of background investigations required by this subsection. Information obtained about an employee or applicant for employment by any school district or other public school in the performance of a background investigation, including any records indicating that a current or former employee of a school or school district was disciplined for violating policies of the school district governing board pursuant to section 15-153, may be retained by that school district or the other public school or by any public entity that agrees pursuant to contract to perform background investigations for school districts or other public schools and may be provided to any school district or other public school that is performing a background investigation required by this subsection.
G. A school district may fingerprint or require any other employee of the district to obtain a fingerprint clearance card, whether paid or not, or any other applicant for employment with the school district not otherwise required by this section to be fingerprinted or obtain a fingerprint clearance card on the condition that the school district may not charge the costs of the fingerprint check or fingerprint clearance card to the fingerprinted applicant or nonpaid employee.
H. A contractor, subcontractor or vendor or any employee of a contractor, subcontractor or vendor who is contracted to provide services on a regular basis at an individual school shall obtain a valid fingerprint clearance card pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. A school district governing board shall adopt policies to exempt a person from the requirements of this subsection if the person's normal job duties are not likely to result in independent access to or unsupervised contact with pupils. A school district, its governing board members, its school council members and its employees are exempt from civil liability for the consequences of adoption and implementation of policies and procedures pursuant to this subsection unless the school district, its school district governing board members, its school council members or its school district employees are guilty of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
I. Subsection A of this section does not apply to a person who provides instruction or other education services to a pupil, with the written consent of the parent or guardian of the pupil, under a work release program, advance placement course or other education program that occurs off school property.
J. I. Public entities that agree pursuant to a contract to perform background investigations, public schools, the department of education, the state board of education and previous employers who provide information pursuant to this section are immune from civil liability unless the information provided is false and is acted on by the school district to the harm of the employee and the public entity, the public school, the previous employer, the state board of education or the department of education knows the information is false or acts with reckless disregard of the information's truth or falsity. A school district that relies on information obtained pursuant to this section in making employment decisions is immune from civil liability for use of the information unless the information obtained is false and the school district knows the information is false or acts with reckless disregard of the information's truth or falsity.
K. J. The superintendent of a school district or chief administrator of a charter school or the person's designee who is responsible for implementing the governing board's policy regarding background investigations required by subsection F of this section and who fails to carry out that responsibility is guilty of unprofessional conduct and is subject to disciplinary action by the state board.
L. K. A school district may hire noncertificated personnel before receiving the results of the fingerprint check or a fingerprint clearance card but may terminate employment if the information on the form provided in subsection D of this section is inconsistent with the information received from the fingerprint check or the fingerprint clearance card. In addition to any other conditions or requirements deemed necessary by the superintendent of public instruction to protect the health and safety of pupils, a school district may hire noncertificated personnel who are required or allowed unsupervised contact with to provide services directly to pupils before the results of a fingerprint check are received or a fingerprint clearance card is issued if the school district does all of the following:
1. Documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placing the applicant before a fingerprint check could be completed or a fingerprint clearance card could be issued.
2. Ensures that the department of public safety completes a statewide and federal criminal history information check on the applicant every one hundred twenty days until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.
3. Obtains references from the applicant's current employer and two most recent previous employers, except for applicants who have been employed for at least five years by the applicant's most recent employer.
4. Provides general supervision of the applicant until the date that the fingerprint check is completed or the fingerprint clearance card is issued or denied.
5. Reports to the superintendent of public instruction on June 30 and December 31 each year the number of applicants hired before the completion of a fingerprint check or the issuance of a fingerprint clearance card. In addition, the school district shall report the number of applicants for whom fingerprint checks were not received or fingerprint clearance cards were not issued after one hundred twenty days and after one hundred seventy-five days of hire.
M. l. Notwithstanding any other law, this section does not apply to pupils who attend school in a school district and who are also employed by a school district.
N. m. A person who makes a false statement, representation or certification in any application for employment with the school district is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor.
O. n. For the purposes of this section, "background investigation" means any communication with an employee's or applicant's former employer that concerns the education, training, experience, qualifications and job performance of the employee or applicant and that is used for the purpose of evaluating the employee or applicant for employment. Background investigation does not include the results of any state or federal criminal history records check. END_STATUTE
Sec. 5. Appropriation; state board of education; intent
A. The sum of $1,200,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the state board of education to implement section 15-505, Arizona Revised Statutes, as amended by this act.
B. The legislature intends that the appropriation made in subsection A of this section be considered ongoing funding in future years.