NY A04568

Requires nonpublic and private elementary and secondary schools to apply to the commissioner of education for criminal history record checks on prospective employees using fingerprints, changing current law from permissive ("authorizing") to mandatory ("requiring").

Mandates all nonpublic and private schools submit criminal history information for prospective employees with direct student contact, eliminating the option for schools to elect whether to conduct fingerprint checks.

Allows conditional appointments of prospective employees pending criminal background clearance, with emergency conditional appointments permitted when unforeseen vacancies occur less than ten business days before school sessions with no qualified alternatives available.

Requires nonpublic and private schools to develop safety policies for children who have contact with conditionally appointed employees and to obtain signed statements from prospective employees regarding pending criminal charges or convictions.

Excludes school districts within cities with populations of one million or more from these fingerprinting requirements.