HB 1579 Summary

• Amends fingerprinting requirements for public school educators and employees to reference § 6-17-417 standards for both teacher licensure and classified school employee background checks.

• Establishes that expunged or pardoned convictions do not disqualify individuals if the conviction is 10 or more years old and does not involve physical or sexual injury, mistreatment, or abuse of another person.

• Adds failure to comply with sex offender registration and reporting requirements of § 12-12-904 as a disqualifying offense for both teacher licensure and school employee employment.

• Modifies fingerprinting methods to allow any method approved by the Department of Arkansas State Police, with fingerprint cards only accepted for out-of-state/country applicants or when electronic fingerprinting cannot be obtained after two attempts.

• Authorizes the state to participate in the federal Next Generation Identification system, allowing fingerprint searches for future arrests and eliminating the need for re-fingerprinting when applicants are enrolled in the Rap Back service.