Wyss bill on school background checks passes Senate

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) - Legislation aimed at strengthening school background checks for potential employees passed unanimously in the Indiana Senate Thursday.

Senate Bill 160, authored by Tom Wyss (R-Fort Wayne), passed the Senate, 47-0.

The bill would mandate schools to check any potential employee with a national criminal background check before being hired by an Indiana school corporation.

Districts also have to check sex offender registries in all fifty states or the national sex offender registry maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Currently, districts have the option of doing a national background check or an Indiana criminal records check, in addition to checking sex offender registries.

“If a school administrator only requests a state criminal background check, it could miss individuals unsuitable for being around children,” Wyss said in a statement.

“This system fails to pick up anyone who has committed a crime out of state or under a different name. Now that we’re only giving school administrators one option for background checks, we’re ensuring job candidates receive full scrutiny in the hiring process.”

S.B. 160 gained bipartisan support with six additional coauthors Thursday before being approved.

The bill now moves to the Indiana House which is sponsored by Representative Rhonda Rhoads (R-Corydon) and Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne).