MT HB745

School districts must adopt a student protection policy requiring fingerprint-based national criminal history background checks for any individual who may have unsupervised contact with students while in school, at school-sponsored activities, or in transit to such activities, regardless of employment status

Background checks must be completed either through the Board of Public Education's educator licensure process or by submitting information to the Montana Department of Justice, with results reviewed by trustees, the district superintendent, or a designated individual

Fingerprint-based national criminal history background checks are now explicitly required for educator licensure as a qualification for teacher certification

School districts that fail to comply with their student protection policy must submit a correction plan to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to address noncompliance and prevent future violations

Effective date: July 1, 2025