Researcher: MK Page 1 3/29/21
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6417
AN ACT REQUIRING BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR CERTAIN
EMPLOYEES OF YOUTH CAMPS.
SUMMARY
This bill requires youth camps licensed by the Office of Early
Childhood (OEC), starting October 1, 2022, to require prospective
employees age 18 or older to submit to comprehensive background
checks if they are applying for positions that provide care or involve
unsupervised access to any child in the youth camp. The bill
establishes specifications for these background checks.
Under the bill, prospective employees may begin working on a
provisional basis while the background check is pending. Their work
must always be supervised by an employee who was subjected to the
comprehensive background check within the previous five years.
It also requires licensees to maintain, and make available upon
OEC’s request, any documentation associated with a comprehensive
background check for at least five years from the date the (1)
background check was completed, if the subject of the comprehensive
background check was not hired, or (2) employment ended, if the
licensee had hired the subject of the comprehensive background check.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2021
COMPREHENSIVE BACKGR OUND CHECKS
The bill provides two options to meet the bill’s background check
requirement. Under the first option, the background check must
include a (1) national criminal history record check, (2) state child
abuse registry check, (3) state sex offender registry check, and (4)
search of the National Sex Offender Registry Public Website
maintained by the United States Department of Justice. 2021HB-06417-R000157-BA.DOCX
Researcher: MK Page 2 3/29/21
Alternatively, a background check may be done by a third-party
provider of criminal history record checks conducted through a
centralized database established by an independent national
organization.
Under the bill, prior to conducting a child abuse registry check, (1)
the youth camps must submit to OEC a form signed by the prospective
employee authorizing the release of personal information and (2) OEC
must submit this signed form to the Department of Children and
Families. The bill requires OEC to prescribe the form.
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
sHB 6511, favorably reported by the Committee on Children,
requires certain municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit
organizations operating youth athletic activities to require prospective
employees who are age 18 or older and applying for a position as
coach, instructor, or athletic trainer to submit to a comprehensive
background check at least once every five years, starting October 1,
2022.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Committee on Children
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 12 Nay 1 (03/11/2021)