State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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[ Engrossed ][ Senate Amendment 002 ]

90_SB1430

      210 ILCS 50/34 new
          Amends the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems  Act.
      Requires  criminal  background  checks  for  persons  who are
      employed as an emergency medical technician, first responder,
      trauma nurse specialist,  or  prehospital  registered  nurse.
      Provides  that  a  person  who  has been convicted of certain
      provisions of the  Criminal  Code  of  1961,  the  Wrongs  to
      Children   Act,   Cannabis   Control  Act,  or  the  Illinois
      Controlled Substances Act may not be employed as an emergency
      medical technician, first responder, trauma nurse specialist,
      or  prehospital  registered  nurse.   Among   the   specified
      offenses  are  homicide,  kidnapping, sex offenses, assaults,
      batteries,  financial  crimes  against  the  elderly,  theft,
      alcohol related  offenses  involving  a  motor  vehicle,  and
      various drug violations.  Effective immediately.
                                                     LRB9011375JSmg
                                               LRB9011375JSmg
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
 2    Systems Act by adding Section 34.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems
 6    Act is amended by adding Section 34 as follows:
 7        (210 ILCS 50/34 new)
 8        Sec. 34. Emergency  medical  personnel  criminal  history
 9    records.
10        (a)  Applicability.  This  Section applies to all persons
11    who are employed or who  provide  volunteer  services  as  an
12    emergency  medical  technician (EMT), first responder, trauma
13    nurse specialist (TNS), or prehospital RN.
14        (b)  Persons ineligible  to  be  hired  or  to  volunteer
15    services as an EMT, first responder, TNS, or prehospital RN.
16             (1)  Persons  ineligible  to be hired by health care
17        employers. After January 1, 1999, or January 1, 2000,  as
18        applicable,  no employer shall knowingly hire, employ, or
19        retain an EMT, first responder, TNS,  or  prehospital  RN
20        who  has  been  convicted  of committing or attempting to
21        commit one or more of the  offenses  defined  in  Section
22        8-1.1,  8-1.2, 9-1, 9-1.2, 9-2, 9-2.1, 9-3, 9-3.1, 9-3.2,
23        9-3.3, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-3.1, 10-4, 10-5, 10-7,  11-6,
24        11-9.1,  11-19.2,  11-20.1,  12-2,  12-4, 12-4.1, 12-4.2,
25        12-4.3, 12-4.4, 12-4.5, 12-4.6,  12-4.7,  12-7.4,  12-11,
26        12-13,   12-14,  12-14.1,  12-15,  12-16,  12-19,  12-21,
27        12-21.6, 12-32, 12-33, 16-1.3, 17-3,  18-2,  18-3,  18-4,
28        18-5,  20-1,  20-1.1,  24-1.2,  24-1.5,  or  33A-2 of the
29        Criminal Code of 1961; those provided in Section 4 of the
30        Wrongs to Children Act; or those defined in Sections 401,
31        401.1, 404, 405, 405.1, 407, or  407.1  of  the  Illinois
                            -2-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1        Controlled   Substances  Act,  unless  the  applicant  or
 2        employee obtains a waiver pursuant to subsection  (e)  of
 3        this Section.
 4             (2)  After  January  1,  1999 or January 1, 2000, as
 5        applicable, no employer shall knowingly hire or  use  the
 6        volunteer  services  of any EMT, first responder, TNS, or
 7        prehospital RN who has been convicted of  committing,  or
 8        attempting  to commit within the last 2 years one or more
 9        of the offenses defined in Section  12-1,  12-3,  12-3.1,
10        12-3.2, 12-11, 16-1, 16A-3, 17-3, 18-1, 19-1, 19-3, 19-4,
11        24-1,  or  33A-2 of the Criminal Code of 1961, unless the
12        applicant  or  employee  obtains  a  waiver  pursuant  to
13        subsection (e) of this Section.
14             (3)  After January 1, 1999 or January  1,  2000,  as
15        applicable,  no  employer shall knowingly hire or use the
16        volunteer services of any EMT, first responder,  TNS,  or
17        prehospital  RN  who has been convicted of committing one
18        or more of the offenses defined in Section 11-501 of  the
19        Illinois  Vehicle Code, those defined in Section 4 of the
20        Cannabis Control Act, or those defined in Section 402  of
21        the Illinois Controlled Substances Act unless both of the
22        following are met:
23             (A)  the  date  of  the  conviction was 12 months or
24             more before the date of the criminal history records
25             check; and
26             (B)  the    applicant    or    employee     provides
27             documentation   of  participation  in  a  recognized
28             alcohol drug recovery program.
29        (c)  Periodic criminal records checks.
30             (1) An employer may choose to  accept  an  authentic
31        UCIA  criminal  history records check result that is less
32        than 12 months old instead  of  initiating  a  background
33        check at the time of employment.
34             (2)  The  employer  must  send  a  copy  of the UCIA
                            -3-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1        criminal history record check to the Department  for  the
 2        EMT,  first  responder, TNS or prehospital RN, noting the
 3        individual's Social Security number, within  30  days  of
 4        receipt.
 5             (3)  At  the  time  of  license renewal, an EMT must
 6        submit a UCIA criminal records check result that is  less
 7        than  12 months old, or a UCIA criminal records check and
 8        a  statement  from  the  employer  verifying   that   the
 9        individual   has  been  continuously  employed  with  the
10        employer since the date  of  the  UCIA  criminal  records
11        check result or before.
12        (d)  UCIA records check.
13             (1)  An  educational  entity, other than a secondary
14        school, conducting a training  program  for  EMTs,  first
15        responders, TNSs, or prehospital RNs must initiate a UCIA
16        criminal  history  records  check  within  10 days of the
17        student's first day of class.
18             (2)  Beginning, January 1,  1999,  an  employer  who
19        makes  a  conditional offer of employment to an applicant
20        must initiate or have initiated on  his  or  her  behalf,
21        within  10  days  of  employment, a UCIA criminal history
22        record check for that applicant.
23             (3)  No later than January 1, 2000, an employer must
24        initiate or have initiated on his or her  behalf  a  UCIA
25        criminal   history  record  check  for  all  EMTs,  first
26        responders, TNSs, or prehospital  RNs  other  than  those
27        enumerated in paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection.
28             (4)  A  fingerprint-based  UCIA background check may
29        be used instead of or in  addition  to  a  nonfingerprint
30        based check.
31             (5)  An  employer  having  actual  knowledge  from a
32        source other than a nonfingerprint based  check  that  an
33        EMT,  first  responder,  TNS,  or prehospital RN has been
34        convicted of committing or attempting to  commit  one  of
                            -4-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1        the offenses enumerated in subsection (b) of this Section
 2        must  initiate  a  fingerprint-based background check, or
 3        obtain a copy of court records verifying a conviction  or
 4        not,  within 10 working days of acquiring that knowledge.
 5        The employer may continue to employ that individual in  a
 6        direct  care  position, may reassign that individual to a
 7        non-direct care position, or may suspend  the  individual
 8        until  the  results  of  the fingerprint-based background
 9        check or the court records are received.
10             (6)  The request for a UCIA criminal history  record
11        check must be in the form prescribed by the Department of
12        State Police.
13             (7)  The  applicant  or employee must be notified of
14        the following, whenever a nonfingerprint check search  is
15        made:
16                  (A)  that  the  employer  shall request or have
17             requested on his  or  her  behalf  a  UCIA  criminal
18             history record check pursuant to this Act;
19                  (B)  that the applicant or employee has a right
20             to  obtain  a  copy  of the criminal records report,
21             challenge  the  accuracy  and  completeness  of  the
22             report, and request a waiver under subsection (e) of
23             this Section;
24                  (C)  that    the    applicant,     if     hired
25             conditionally,  may  be  terminated  if the criminal
26             records report indicates that the  applicant  has  a
27             record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses
28             enumerated  in subsection (b) of this Section unless
29             that applicant's identity is  validated  and  it  is
30             determined  that  the  applicant  does  not  have  a
31             disqualifying  criminal  history  record  based on a
32             fingerprint-based records check;
33                  (D)  that   the   applicant,   if   not   hired
34             conditionally, shall not be hired  if  the  criminal
                            -5-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1             record  report  indicates  that  the applicant has a
 2             record of conviction of any of the criminal offenses
 3             enumerated in subsection (b) of this Section  unless
 4             the   applicant's  record  is  cleared  based  on  a
 5             fingerprint-based records check;
 6                  (E)  that the employee may be terminated if the
 7             criminal records report indicates that the  employee
 8             has  a  record  of conviction of any of the criminal
 9             offenses  enumerated  in  subsection  (b)  of   this
10             Section  unless  the  employee's  record  is cleared
11             based on a fingerprint-based records check.
12             (8) An employer may conditionally employ or use  the
13        volunteer  services  of  an  applicant  as  an EMT, first
14        responder, TNS, or prehospital RN  for  up  to  3  months
15        pending  the  results  of  a UCIA criminal history record
16        check.
17             (9)  An employer may  retain  the  individual  in  a
18        direct care position if the individual presents clear and
19        convincing    evidence   to   the   employer   that   the
20        nonfingerprint-based criminal records report  is  invalid
21        and  if  there  is a good faith belief on the part of the
22        employer that the individual did not  commit  an  offense
23        listed   in  subsection  (b)  of  this  Section,  pending
24        positive   verification   through   a   fingerprint-based
25        criminal records check.
26        (e)  Waiver.
27             (1) An individual or employer acting on behalf of an
28        individual  may  request  a  waiver  of  the  prohibition
29        against   employment   by   submitting   the    following
30        information to the Department:
31                  (A)   information   necessary   to  initiate  a
32             fingerprint-based UCIA criminal records check  in  a
33             form  and  manner  prescribed  by  the Department of
34             State Police; and
                            -6-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1                  (B)  the  fee  for  a  fingerprint-based   UCIA
 2             criminal  records  check, which shall not exceed the
 3             actual cost of the record check.
 4             (2)  The Department may accept the  results  of  the
 5        fingerprint-based  UCIA criminal records check instead of
 6        the items  required  by  paragraphs  (1)(A)  and  (B)  of
 7        subsection (d) of this Section.
 8             (3)  The  Department  may  grant a waiver based upon
 9        any mitigating circumstances, which may include, but need
10        not be limited to:
11                  (A)  the age of the applicant or employee  when
12             the crime was committed;
13                  (B)  the circumstances surrounding the crime;
14                  (C)  the length of time since the conviction;
15                  (D)  the   applicant   or  employee's  criminal
16             history since the conviction,
17                  (E)  the applicant or employee's work history;
18                  (F)  the  applicant   or   employee's   current
19             employment references;
20                  (G)  the   applicant  or  employee's  character
21             references;
22                  (H)  other evidence demonstrating  the  ability
23             of   the   applicant  or  employee  to  perform  the
24             employment   responsibilities    competently,    and
25             evidence  that the individual does not pose a threat
26             to the health or safety of residents,  patients,  or
27             clients.
28             (4)  A  person  may not be employed as an EMT, first
29        responder, TNS, or prehospital RN during the pendency  of
30        a waiver request.
31             (5)  The  Department  shall be immune from liability
32        for any waivers granted under this Section.
33             (6)  An employer is not obligated to employ or offer
34        permanent employment to an applicant,  or  to  retain  an
                            -7-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1        employee who is granted a waiver under this Section.
 2        (f)  Immunity from liability.
 3        An  employer  shall not be liable for the failure to hire
 4    or to retain an EMT, first responder, TNS, or prehospital  RN
 5    who  has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit
 6    one or more of the offenses enumerated in subsection  (b)  of
 7    this  Section.  However,  if an EMT, first responder, TNS, or
 8    prehospital RN is suspended  from  employment  based  on  the
 9    results  of  a criminal background check conducted under this
10    Act and the results prompting the suspension are subsequently
11    found to be inaccurate, the EMT,  first  responder,  TNS,  or
12    prehospital  RN  is  entitled  to  recover  back pay from the
13    employer  for  the  suspension  period,  provided  that   the
14    employer is the cause of the inaccuracy.
15        No  employer  shall be chargeable for any benefit charges
16    that result from the payment of unemployment benefits to  any
17    claimant  when  the  claimant's separation from that employer
18    occurred because the claimant's criminal background  included
19    an  offense  enumerated in subsection (b) of this Section, or
20    the claimant's separation from that employer  occurred  as  a
21    result of the claimant's violating a policy that the employer
22    was  required to maintain pursuant to the Drug Free Workplace
23    Act.
24        (g)  Offense.
25             (1)  Any person whose profession is  job  counseling
26        who  knowingly counsels any person who has been convicted
27        of committing or attempting to commit any of the offenses
28        enumerated in subsection (b) of this Section to apply for
29        a  position  as  an  EMT,  first   responder,   TNS,   or
30        prehospital  RN  shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor
31        unless a waiver is granted pursuant to subsection (e)  of
32        this Section.
33             (2)  This subsection does not apply to an individual
34        performing   official   duties  in  connection  with  the
                            -8-                LRB9011375JSmg
 1        administration of the State employment service  described
 2        in Section 1705 of the Unemployment Insurance Act.
 3    ytSection  99.   Effective  date.  This Act takes effect upon
 4    becoming law.

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