HB5934 Summary

• Amends the Park District Code and Chicago Park District Act to require criminal background investigations for all park district employment applicants, including checks against the Illinois criminal history database and fingerprint-based FBI records.

• Prohibits park districts from knowingly employing individuals convicted of attempted or first-degree murder, Class X felonies, violent crimes, drug offenses (except certain cannabis violations), sexual or physical abuse of minors, or equivalent out-of-state offenses.

• Creates an exception allowing park districts to hire or retain employees with prior cannabis control act convictions if the applicant was not sentenced to incarceration, meets all other employment qualifications, and complies with administrative rules.

• Establishes confidentiality protections for conviction records, limiting access to necessary personnel, providing applicants a copy of their records, and making unauthorized disclosure a Class A misdemeanor.

• Takes effect immediately upon passage.