Federal · Title 34 — Crime Control and Law Enforcement

34 U.S.C. § 20962: Schools SAFE Act

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Requires background checks on individuals seeking employment or positions working with children in schools. Criminalizes knowingly exceeding authority or unlawfully releasing background check information, with penalties up to 10 years imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text

This section may be cited as the “Schools Safely Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act of 2006”. conducting a background check required under section 471(a)(20) of the Social Security Act [ 42 U.S.C. 671(a)(20) ] on individuals under consideration as prospective foster or adoptive parents; or an investigation relating to an incident of abuse or neglect of a minor; or a private or public elementary school, a private or public secondary school, a local educational agency, or State educational agency in that State, on individuals employed by, under consideration for employment by, or otherwise in a position in which the individual would work with or around children in the school or agency. Where possible, the check shall include a fingerprint-based check of State criminal history databases. The Attorney General and the States may charge any applicable fees for the checks. An individual having information derived as a result of a check under subsection (b) may release that information only to appropriate officers of child welfare agencies, public or private elementary or secondary schools, or educational agencies or other persons authorized by law to receive that information. An individual who knowingly exceeds the authority in subsection (b), or knowingly releases information in violation of subsection (e), shall be imprisoned not more than 10 years or fined under title 18, or both. the State or local agency responsible for administering the plan under part B or part E of title IV of the Social Security Act [ 42 U.S.C. 620 et seq., 670 et seq.]; and any other public agency, or any other private agency under contract with the State or local agency responsible for administering the plan under part B or part E of title IV of the Social Security Act, that is responsible for the licensing or approval of foster or adoptive parents. In this section, the terms “elementary school”, “local educational agency”, “secondary school”, and “State educational agency” have the meanings given to those terms in section 7801 of title 20 .

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