SB1398: Counseling, Board of; criminal history records check for applicants for licensure.

SENATE BILL NO. 1398

Offered January 22, 2015
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 35 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-3506.1, relating to Board of Counseling; criminal history records check for applicants for licensure.
Patron-- Petersen

Referred to Committee on Education and Health

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 35 of Title 54.1 a section numbered 54.1-3506.1 as follows:

§ 54.1-3506.1. Criminal history background check.

The Board shall require each applicant for licensure as a professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, or licensed substance abuse treatment practitioner to submit fingerprints and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded along with his fingerprints through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information regarding the applicant. The cost of fingerprinting and the criminal history records search shall be borne by the applicant.

The Central Criminal Records Exchange shall forward the results of the state and federal criminal history records search to the Board. If an applicant is denied licensure because of information appearing on his criminal history record and the applicant disputes the information upon which the denial was based, the Central Criminal Records Exchange shall, upon written request, furnish to the applicant the procedures for obtaining a copy of the criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Criminal Records Exchange. The information shall not be disseminated except as provided in this section.