(a) Every employer, child care facility, adult care facility, the Department of Human Resources, and child placing agency required to obtain a criminal history background information check pursuant to this chapter shall obtain, prior to or upon the date of employment, or issuance of a license or approval or renewal thereof, and maintain in the agency or personnel file, a request with written consent for the criminal history background information check and a statement signed by the applicant, volunteer, or employee indicating whether he or she has ever been convicted of a crime, and if so, fully disclosing all convictions. The statement shall include a notice and questionnaire the same as or similar to the following:
(1) MANDATORY CRIMINAL HISTORY CHECK NOTICE: Alabama law requires that a criminal history background information check be conducted on all persons who hold a license or work in a Department of Human Resources licensed child care or adult care facility, a foster or adoptive home approved by the Department of Human Resources, or a licensed child placing agency, including all officers and agents of the entity. You are required to provide full, complete, and accurate information on your criminal conviction history upon application for a license or employment. This information shall be used to determine your suitability to provide care to children, the elderly, or disabled individuals. Unless a criminal history background information check report and suitability determination have previously been obtained, you must complete a written request and consent for a criminal history background information check with fingerprints at the time of application for employment. Refusal to complete these documents or providing false information may result in refusal of employment, approval, or licensure. The term conviction includes a determination of guilt by a trial, by a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere. You are required to notify your employer, licensing agency, or entity where you are performing volunteer work of any criminal conviction occurring subsequent to the date of completion of this notice. Any individual determined to have submitted false information may be referred to the district attorney or law enforcement for investigation and possible prosecution. An individual who intentionally falsifies or provides any misleading information on the statement is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) and imprisonment for not more than one year.
(2) Convictions for any of the following crimes shall make an individual unsuitable for employment, volunteer work, approval, or licensure:
"a. A violent offense as defined in Section 12-25-32.
"b. A sex crime as defined in Section 15-20A-5.
"c. A crime that involves the physical or mental injury or maltreatment of a child, the elderly, or an individual with disabilities.
"d. A crime committed against a child as defined in Section 38-13-2.
"e. A crime involving the sale or distribution of a controlled substance.
"f. A crime or offense committed in another state or under federal law which would constitute any of the above crimes in this state.
"g. Conviction for a crime listed in the federal Adoption and Safe Families Act, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 671(a)(20), shall disqualify a person from being approved or continuing to be approved as a foster parent or adoptive parent and a convicted person shall be deemed unsuitable for employment, volunteer work, approval, or licensure as a foster parent or adoptive parent.
"h. The Department of Human Resources may set other disqualifying convictions by rule under the Administrative Procedure Act, Section 41-22-1, et seq., for Department of Human Resources licensed child or adult care facilities.
"(3) CRIMINAL HISTORY STATEMENT
"Have you ever had a suitability determination made by the Department of Human Resources in connection with a previous criminal history information background check? Yes (__) No (__).
"Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Yes (__) No (__). If yes, state the date, crime, location, punishment imposed, and whether the victim was a child or an elderly or disabled individual.
" ____________________________
" ____________________________
"Date __________ Signature __________________."
(b) An individual who fails or refuses to provide a statement shall not be employed, allowed to work or volunteer, or issued a license or approval as defined in this chapter. Upon receipt of a signed criminal history statement which does not indicate conviction for a crime prohibiting employment under the suitability criteria, an employer, including the Department of Human Resources, may employ an applicant or allow a volunteer or contract provider to work provisionally pending receipt of a suitability determination from the Department of Human Resources.
(c) No later than the five business days after employment or a reasonable time after completion of application for a license or approval, an employer, the Department of Human Resources, or child placing agency shall mail or deliver a request for a criminal history background information check to the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency accompanied by all of the following:
(1) Two complete sets of fingerprints, properly executed by a law enforcement agency or an individual properly trained in fingerprinting techniques.
(2) Written consent from the applicant, employee, or volunteer for the release of the criminal history background information to the Department of Human Resources.
(3) The fee.
(d) Upon receipt of a suitability determination from the Department of Human Resources that a person or entity is suitable for employment, volunteer work, licensure, or approval based on the criminal history background information check, an employer, a child care facility, adult care facility, a child placing agency, or the Department of Human Resources may make its own determination of employment, licensure, or approval. This chapter shall not create any right to employment, work, approval, or licensure. Upon receipt of a determination from the Department of Human Resources that an individual is unsuitable for employment, licensure, approval, or volunteer work, an employer, the child care facility, adult care facility, child placing agency, or Department of Human Resources shall terminate the individual from employment or volunteer work or shall not employ or use the individual. Termination of employment may be delayed by the employer to allow the individual to challenge either the accuracy or completeness of the criminal history information background report or the suitability determination made by the Department of Human Resources. The Department of Human Resources or child placing agency shall suspend or revoke a license or approval or deny a license or approval application to an individual receiving an unsuitability determination. As an alternative to termination of employment, the Department of Human Resources may transfer a permanent Merit System employee to an available position for which the employee is qualified where unsupervised access to children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities shall not be an essential function of the job.
(e) If a review of a criminal history background information check or other information received reveals that the person has submitted false information, the employer, child care facility, adult care facility, child placing agency, or Department of Human Resources may terminate the employee or volunteer. The Department of Human Resources or child placing agency may revoke the approval or license of a person or entity when the person or entity submits false information in a review of criminal history background information check or other information. The Department of Human Resources shall be notified of the false information and may refer the case to an appropriate law enforcement agency or district attorney for investigation and prosecution.
(f) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, only one criminal history background information check shall be required on an individual regardless of subsequent changes in employment or licensing or approval status. Subsequent criminal history background information checks may be conducted by the employer or licensing or approval entity. The licensing or approval entity shall pay the cost for subsequent criminal history background information checks. If the statement signed by the applicant or employee states that a criminal history background information check has been performed and suitability determination issued on the individual pursuant to this chapter, the employer or licensing agency may request at the time of application only a suitability determination from the Department of Human Resources on the check previously performed, within five business days of employment, or completion of license or approval application, submitting the same kind of information and consent for the request for suitability determination as required by the written consent for a criminal history background information check.
Last modified: May 3, 2021