According to State Rep. Justin Simmons, R-131st, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently passed legislation to further clarify the types of volunteers and employees who are required to obtain background checks to work with children under a new law enacted last year.

Act 153 calls for additional and periodic background checks for adults who are directly involved with children: state police criminal background checks and Department of Human Services child abuse clearances. In addition, FBI background checks are required for adults who have lived in Pennsylvania for fewer than 10 continuous years.

The new law has resulted in many emails and phone calls to lawmakers statewide from constituents with questions about the new law and its implementation.

House Bill 1276 makes a number of clarifications and modifications to end any confusion.

Most notably, the bill is designed to more clearly define who is and who is not subject to the background check requirements and, where possible, make the requirements less onerous for adult volunteers who work with children. The measure is now with the Senate for consideration.

Under the legislation, only those volunteers and employees with direct and routine interaction with a child as part of a childcare service, a school, or a program, activity or service would need to obtain the clearances. For example, a Sunday school teacher and Scout leader would need the clearances, while a cook at a youth camp, a parent dropping off baked goods at a school or a guest reader would not.

Other provisions of House Bill 1276 seek to make the clearances better apply to real-world situations by:

Ÿ Exempting volunteers from the $10 fees for the DHS child abuse clearances and state police criminal background checks. On June 10, the administration waived the fees for volunteers only, effective July 25. The administration is also reducing the clearances to $8 each for affected employees.

Ÿ Allowing background check clearances for employees to apply to all paid positions in which they work directly with children. The portability is already in the law for volunteers.

Ÿ Permitting employers or organizations to accept non-original copies of the required documents on file, rather than the original copies to be maintained by the employer or organization.

Only new volunteers must obtain the clearances by July 1, while existing volunteers or volunteers never before required to obtain them have until July 1, 2016, to secure the clearances. To date, DHS has processed more than 1 million child abuse clearance applications.

More information is available at www.KeepKidsSafe.pa.gov.