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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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EDUCATION CODE |
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Title 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION |
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Subtitle D. EDUCATORS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS |
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Chapter 22. SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES AND VOLUNTEERS |
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Subchapter C. CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS |
Sec. 22.0834. CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD INFORMATION REVIEW OF CERTAIN CONTRACT EMPLOYEES
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(a) This subsection applies to a person who is not an applicant for or holder of a certificate under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, and who on or after January 1, 2008, is offered employment by an entity that contracts with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement to provide services, if:
(1) the employee or applicant has or will have continuing duties related to the contracted services; and
(2) the employee or applicant has or will have direct contact with students.
(b) A person to whom Subsection (a) applies must submit to a national criminal history record information review under this section before being employed or serving in a capacity described by that subsection.
(c) Before or immediately after employing or securing the services of a person to whom Subsection (a) applies, the entity contracting with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement shall send or ensure that the person sends to the department information that is required by the department for obtaining national criminal history record information, which may include fingerprints and photographs. The department shall obtain the person's national criminal history record information and report the results through the criminal history clearinghouse as provided by Section 411.0845, Government Code.
(d) An entity contracting with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement shall obtain all criminal history record information that relates to a person to whom Subsection (a) applies through the criminal history clearinghouse as provided by Section 411.0845, Government Code. The entity shall certify to the school district that the entity has received all criminal history record information relating to a person to whom Subsection (a) applies.
(e) A school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement may obtain the criminal history record information of a person to whom this section applies through the criminal history clearinghouse as provided by Section 411.0845, Government Code.
(f) In the event of an emergency, a school district may allow a person to whom Subsection (a) or (g) applies to enter school district property if the person is accompanied by a district employee. A school district may adopt rules regarding an emergency situation under this subsection.
(g) An entity that contracts with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement to provide services shall obtain from any law enforcement or criminal justice agency or a private entity that is a consumer reporting agency governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. Section 1681 et seq.), all criminal history record information that relates to an employee of the entity who is employed before January 1, 2008, and who is not subject to a national criminal history record information review under Subsection (b) if:
(1) the employee has continuing duties related to the contracted services; and
(2) the employee has direct contact with students.
(h) A school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement may obtain from any law enforcement or criminal justice agency all criminal history record information that relates to a person to whom Subsection (g) applies.
(i) An entity shall certify to a school district that it has received all criminal history record information required by Subsection (g).
(j) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.
(k) The requirements of this section apply to an entity that contracts directly with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement and any subcontractor of the entity.
(l) A contracting entity shall require that a subcontracting entity obtain all criminal history record information that relates to an employee to whom Subsection (a) applies. If a contracting or subcontracting entity determines that Subsection (a) does not apply to an employee, the contracting or subcontracting entity shall make a reasonable effort to ensure that the conditions or precautions that resulted in the determination that Subsection (a) did not apply to the employee continue to exist throughout the time that the contracted services are provided.
(m) A contracting entity complies with the requirements of this section if the contracting entity obtains a written statement from each subcontracting entity certifying that the subcontracting entity has obtained the required criminal history record information for employees of the subcontracting entity and the subcontracting entity has obtained certification from each of the subcontracting entity's subcontractors.
(n) A subcontracting entity must certify to the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement and the contracting entity that the subcontracting entity has obtained all criminal history record information that relates to an employee to whom Subsection (a) applies and has obtained similar written certifications from the subcontracting entity's subcontractors.
(o) A contracting or subcontracting entity may not permit an employee to whom Subsection (a) applies to provide services at a school if the employee has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense that would prevent a person from being employed under Section 22.085(a).
(p) In this section:
(1) "Contracting entity" means an entity that contracts directly with a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement to provide services to the school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement.
(2) "Subcontracting entity" means an entity that contracts with another entity that is not a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement to provide services to a school district, open-enrollment charter school, or shared services arrangement.