Senate Bill 22 Summary

• Amends criminal history record check requirements for schools by allowing boards of education to request national criminal history record checks for prospective volunteers with unsupervised access to students, with fees not exceeding $50.00 or actual search cost.

• Permits higher education institutions to request national criminal history record checks for student volunteers, with student paying the search cost, and allows results to be shared with public and private schools where the student volunteer will have direct contact with students.

• Defines "prospective volunteer" as a parent, guardian, or individual intending to volunteer in a capacity providing regularly scheduled or continuing direct contact with students, and "student volunteer" as a higher education student likely to have direct contact with K-12 students through coursework.

• Exempts from background check requirements technology center part-time/temporary employees instructing adults only, and prospective volunteers serving as medical professionals, sports referees, school concession stand volunteers, or similar capacities as determined by the board of education.

• Becomes effective November 1, 2015, with the State Board of Education and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education authorized to promulgate implementing rules.