Sens. Klobuchar, Franken Push Bill to Help Get Background Checks on People Working with Kids
Press Release
Today, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Al Franken (D-Minn.) continued their push to protect children's safety with the reintroduction of legislation that allows groups working with kids to access federal background checks.
The Child Protection Improvement Act, introduced by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and cosponsored by Sens. Klobuchar and Franken, closes a gaping hole in federal law that prevents many camps, children's groups, and other youth-serving organizations from gaining access to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal background checks for potential employees and volunteers.
"As a former prosecutor, I know how important it is to have accurate information on who is working with our kids," said Sen. Klobuchar. "This legislation takes important steps to ensure that groups in Minnesota and across the country have access to the tools they need to keep our kids safe."
"Parents need to be able to trust that their kids are in safe hands when they send to them to camp or other youth-serving organizations," said Sen. Franken. "This bill will help make sure that our kids our safe by giving groups that working with children critical access to background checks on potential employees or volunteers."
Right now access to FBI background checks is unavailable to many youth camps and other youth-serving organizations. Under the law, states can decide who has access to the FBI's information. Currently, thirty-four states bar access and those that do allow access have response times of up to six weeks. The Child Protection Improvement Act directs the Attorney General to establish a program to allow access for child-serving organizations to FBI criminal background checks in order ensure that potential employees and volunteers do not have criminal records.
Sens. Klobuchar and Franken cosponsored this legislation last Congress. It passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last September.
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