RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 745 (HB 156) 2022 Regular Session Freiberg
Existing law provides relative to the criminal history review of educators and teachers and
to their hiring, dismissal, and credentials or authorizations with respect thereto. New law
requires criminal background checks at the state and federal level, including the following:
(1)A requirement that all applicants for an educator credential or teaching authorization
undergo a criminal background check.
(2)The authority of the state Dept. of Education (DOE) to charge a processing fee of up
to $25 and to collect the fees associated with state and federal record checks and with
fingerprinting. Further authorizes an annual increase in the fee of up to 5%.
New law authorizes BESE to adopt rules under which the board itself, separately from DOE,
may request criminal background information on any applicant for or recipient of an educator
credential or teaching authorization.
New law requires anyone granted an educator credential or teaching authorization prior to
June 1, 2023, to obtain a criminal history record check when seeking renewal, advancement,
or any other modification of the credential or authorization, or by June 1, 2028, whichever
occurs sooner.
Existing law prohibits BESE from granting an educator credential or teaching authorization
to anyone who has been convicted of or has pled nolo contendere to any offense listed in
existing law (R.S. 15:587.1(C)). New law further prohibits BESE from renewing, advancing,
or otherwise modifying the credential or authorization of anyone who has been convicted of
or has pled nolo contendere to any offense listed in existing law (R.S. 15:587.1(C)).
New law requiring an applicant for an educator credential or teaching authorization to
undergo a criminal history record check shall not be implemented until June 1, 2023.
Effective August 1, 2022.
(Amends R.S. 15:587(A)(1)(j)(ii) and 587.1(B)(1)(c) and R.S. 17:15(C); Repeals R.S.
15:587.1(A)(2))