House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Part II.

Amends new GS 115C-270.12 to require the State Board of Education (State Board) to require only initial applicants (was, any applicant applying for a license under the Article) to be checked for a criminal history before they can be issued a license. Makes conforming changes throughout the statute. Makes additional clarifying and technical changes. Makes conforming changes to the act’s long title.

Amends GS 115C-270.1 by amending the definition of application to specify that it is an individual submitting an application for licensure under Article 17E.  Adds a definition of initial applicant.

Makes a conforming removal of the changes to GS 115C-270.5.

Part III.

Amends GS 115C-77 by amending the definition of school personnel as follows. Now specifies that for categories of individuals listed, it doesn’t matter whether they are paid with federal, State, local or other funds. Specifies that the listed categories of individuals are employed by the governing body of a public school unit (was, by a public school unit). No longer requires that the independent contractor or employee of an independent contractor have significant access to students. Adds as a separate category, those with significant access to students, and specifies that this includes substitute teachers, driver training teachers, bus drivers, clerical staff, or custodians (previously, they were included  but did not specifically need to have significant access to students).

Provides that if an applicant for a school personnel position has received a criminal history record check as a part of an application for licensure within the previous 90 days (was, three years) then the governing body must accept that licensure check as the required criminal history check. Provides that it is the governing body, not the local board of education, who is to designate when the superintendent or equivalent authority can provide the State Board with the criminal history on a person the State Board has certificated, certified, or licensed. Makes additional clarifying, conforming, can technical changes to the statute.

Part V.

Makes conforming changes to GS 143B-1209.11. Removes proposed new language that would have allowed the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) to charge a fee to offset costs of conducting the specified criminal record checks (leaves in places, however, the existing language allowing the SBI to charge a reasonable fee for conducting a criminal record check under the statute). Further amends the statute by removing existing provisions related to the SBI providing a criminal history record check: (1) to the board of directors of a regional school of a person employed at a regional school or of a person who has applied for employment if they consent to the record check; and (2) to the chancellor operating a UNC laboratory school of a person employed at the school or a person who has applied for employment if they consent to the record check.