(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, the Department of Justice shall establish, implement, and maintain a certification program to process fingerprint-based criminal background clearances on individuals who roll fingerprint impressions, manually or electronically, for non-law-enforcement purposes. Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall roll fingerprints for non-law-enforcement purposes unless certified.
(2) The following persons shall be exempt from this section if they have received training pertaining to applicant fingerprint rolling and have undergone a criminal offender record information background investigation:
(A) Law enforcement personnel and state employees.
(B) Employees of a tribal gaming agency or a tribal gaming operation, provided that the fingerprints are rolled and submitted to the Department of Justice for purposes of compliance with a tribal-state compact.
(3) The department shall not accept fingerprint impressions for non-law-enforcement purposes unless they were rolled by an individual certified or exempted pursuant to this section.
(b) Individuals who roll fingerprint impressions, either manually or electronically, for non-law-enforcement purposes, must submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information, along with the appropriate fees and documentation. The department shall retain one copy of the fingerprint impressions to process a state level criminal background clearance, and it shall submit one copy of the fingerprint impressions to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to process a federal level criminal background clearance.
(c) The department shall retain the fingerprint impressions for subsequent arrest notification pursuant to Section 11105.2.
(d) Every individual certified as a fingerprint roller shall meet the following criteria:
(1) Be a legal resident of this state at the time of certification.
(2) Be at least 18 years of age.
(3) Have satisfactorily completed a written application prescribed by the department to determine the fitness of the person to exercise the functions of a fingerprint roller.
(e) Prior to granting a certificate as a fingerprint roller, the department shall determine that the applicant possesses the required honesty, credibility, truthfulness, and integrity to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
(f) (1) The department shall refuse to certify any individual as a fingerprint roller, and shall revoke the certification of any fingerprint roller, upon either of the following:
(A) Conviction of a felony offense.
(B) Conviction of any other offense that both involves moral turpitude, dishonesty, or fraud, and bears on the applicant’s ability to perform the duties or responsibilities of a fingerprint roller.
(2) A conviction after a plea of nolo contendere is deemed to be a conviction for purposes of this subdivision.
(g) In addition to subdivision (f), the department may refuse to certify any individual as a fingerprint roller, and may revoke or suspend the certification of any fingerprint roller upon any of the following:
(1) Substantial and material misstatement or omission in the application submitted to the department.
(2) Arrest pending adjudication for a felony.
(3) Arrest pending adjudication for a lesser offense that both involves moral turpitude, dishonesty, or fraud, and bears on the applicant’s ability to perform the duties or responsibilities of a fingerprint roller.
(4) Revocation, suspension, restriction, or denial of a professional license, if the revocation, suspension, restriction, or denial was for misconduct, dishonesty, or for any cause substantially related to the duties or responsibilities of a fingerprint roller.
(5) Failure to discharge fully and faithfully any of the duties or responsibilities required of a fingerprint roller.
(6) When adjudged liable for damages in any suit grounded in fraud, misrepresentation, or in violation of the state regulatory laws, or in any suit based upon a failure to discharge fully and faithfully the duties of a fingerprint roller.
(7) Use of false or misleading advertising in which the fingerprint roller has represented that he or she has duties, rights, or privileges that he or she does not possess by law.
(8) Commission of any act involving dishonesty, fraud, or deceit with the intent to substantially benefit the fingerprint roller or another, or to substantially injure another.
(9) Failure to submit any remittance payable upon demand by the department or failure to satisfy any court ordered money judgment, including restitution.
(h) The Department of Justice shall work with applicant regulatory entities to improve and make more efficient the criminal offender record information request process related to employment, licensing, and certification background investigations.
(i) The Department of Justice may adopt regulations as necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
(j) The department shall charge a fee sufficient to cover its costs under this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 35, Sec. 25. (SB 174) Effective January 1, 2010.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018