(a) The department shall conduct an investigation of every applicant for licensure to determine the financial responsibility, experience, character, and general fitness of such applicant. The department may issue the applicant a license to cash payment instruments if the department determines to its general satisfaction that:
(1) The applicant is financially sound and responsible and able to cash payment instruments in an honest, fair, and efficient manner and with the confidence and trust of the community; and
(2) All conditions for licensure set forth in this article or the rules and regulations of the department have been satisfied.
(b) The department shall not issue a license or may revoke a license if it finds that the applicant or licensee, any person who is a director, officer, partner, agent, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant or licensee, or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant or licensee has been convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction or of a crime which, if committed within this state, would constitute a felony under the laws of this state. For the purposes of this article, a person shall be deemed to have been convicted of a crime if such person shall have pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a charge thereof before a court or federal magistrate or shall have been found guilty thereof by the decision or judgment of a court or federal magistrate or by the verdict of a jury, irrespective of the pronouncement of sentence or the suspension thereof and regardless of whether first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was entered or an adjudication or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on that charge, unless and until such plea of guilty or such decision, judgment, or verdict shall have been set aside, reversed, or otherwise abrogated by lawful judicial process or until probation, sentence, or both probation and sentence of a first offender have been successfully completed and documented or unless the person convicted of the crime shall have received a pardon therefor from the President of the United States or the governor or other pardoning authority in the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred or shall have received an official certification of pardon granted by the state's pardoning body where the conviction occurred which removes the legal disabilities resulting from such conviction and restores civil and political rights.
(c) The department shall be authorized to obtain conviction data with respect to any applicant or licensee, any person who is a director, officer, partner, agent, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant or licensee, or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant or licensee. The department may submit directly to the Georgia Crime Information Center two complete sets of fingerprints of such person, together with the required records search fees and such other information as may be required. Fees for background checks that the department administers shall be sent to the department by applicants and licensees together with the fingerprints.
(d) Upon request by the department, each applicant, licensee, any person who is a director, officer, partner, agent, covered employee, or ultimate equitable owner of the applicant or licensee, or any individual who directs the affairs of or controls or establishes policy for the applicant or licensee shall submit to the department two complete sets of fingerprints, the required records search fees, and such other information as may be required. Fees for background checks that the department administers shall be submitted to the department by applicants or licensees together with two complete sets of fingerprints, and the department is authorized to net such fees to recover any costs incurred by the department related to running the background checks. Upon receipt of fingerprints, fees, and other required information, the Georgia Crime Information Center shall promptly transmit one set of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a search of bureau records and an appropriate report and shall retain the other set and promptly conduct a search of its own records and records to which it has access. The Georgia Crime Information Center shall notify the department in writing of any derogatory finding, including, but not limited to, any conviction data regarding the fingerprint records check, or if there is no such finding. All conviction data received by the department or by the applicant or licensee shall be used by the party requesting such data for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the responsibilities of this article, shall not be a public record, shall be confidential, and shall not be disclosed to any other person or agency except to any person or agency which otherwise has a legal right to inspect such data. All such records shall be maintained by the department and the applicant or licensee pursuant to laws regarding such records and the rules and regulations of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Crime Information Center, as applicable. As used in this Code section, "conviction data" means a record of a finding, verdict, or plea of guilty or plea of nolo contendere with regard to any crime, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought.
(e) Every applicant and licensee shall be authorized and required to obtain and maintain the results of background checks on covered employees. Such background checks shall be handled by the Georgia Crime Information Center pursuant to Code Section 35-3-34 and the rules and regulations of the Georgia Crime Information Center. Applicants and licensees shall be responsible for any applicable fees charged by the Georgia Crime Information Center. An applicant or licensee may only employ a person whose background data has been checked and has been found to be in compliance with all lawful requirements prior to the initial date of hire. This provision does not apply to directors, officers, partners, or ultimate equitable owners of applicants or licensees or to persons who direct the affairs of or control or establish policy for applicants or licensees, whose background shall have been investigated through the department before taking office, beginning employment, or securing ownership. Upon receipt of information from the Georgia Crime Information Center that is incomplete or that indicates a covered employee has a criminal record in any state other than Georgia, the employer shall submit to the department two complete sets of fingerprint cards for such person, together with the applicable fees and any other required information. The department shall submit such fingerprints as provided in subsection (d) of this Code section.
(f) Applicants and licensees shall have the primary responsibility for obtaining background checks on covered employees. The department shall be entitled to review the files of any applicant or licensee to determine whether the required background checks have been run and whether all covered employees are qualified. The department shall be authorized to discuss the status of employee background checks with applicants and licensees. Notwithstanding any other provisions in this article, the department shall retain the right to obtain conviction data on covered employees of applicants and licensees.
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