Identical to S 741, filed 4/25/16.

Amends GS 143B-426.39 (Powers and duties of the State Controller) by adding a new subsection (18) to direct the State Controller to require a criminal history check of any current or prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor, to be conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation under new GS 143B-966. Provides that the criminal history report must be provided to the State Controller and is not a public record under GS Chapter 132 (Public records statutes).  

Enacts GS 143B-966, Criminal record checks for the Office of the State Controller (Office), to allow the Department of Public Safety (Department) to provide the Office of State Controller the criminal history of any current or prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor of the Office from the State and National Repositories of Criminal Histories.  The Office must provide to the Department, along with the request for the criminal background check, (1) the fingerprints of the current or prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor; (2) a form signed by the current or prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor consenting to the criminal background check and use of fingerprints or other identifying information required by the State and National Repositories; and (3) any information required by the Department.  Directs the Department to forward the fingerprints of the current or prospective employee, volunteer, or contractor to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for a search of the state's criminal history file, and the SBI to forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check.  Directs that the Office must keep all information obtained under GS 143B-966 confidential.  Allows the Department to charge a fee to offset the cost incurred to conduct a criminal record check under GS 143B-966 that cannot exceed the actual cost of locating, editing, researching, and retrieving the information.