2016 Arkansas Code
Title 12 - Law Enforcement, Emergency Management, and Military Affairs
Subtitle 2 - Law Enforcement Agencies and Programs
Chapter 12 - Crime Reporting and Investigations
Subchapter 16 - -- Criminal History for Volunteers Act
§ 12-12-1607. Background checks

(a) (1) Upon receipt of a proper request from a volunteer organization, the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police shall conduct a background check through the Arkansas Crime Information Center.

(2) (A) The Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police shall provide the information obtained from the Arkansas background check to the volunteer organization.

(B) The information shall include:

(i) All pending Arkansas felony arrests;

(ii) All Arkansas criminal convictions; and

(iii) Whether the individual is a registered sex offender or required to register as a sex offender.

(b) (1) Upon the completion of the Arkansas background check, the volunteer organization may request through the Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police a national criminal background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(2) The volunteer organization shall not be required to submit an additional application for the state and national criminal background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(3) The national background check shall comply with federal standards in effect as of January 1, 2005, including, but not limited to, standards concerning the requirement of the submission of the fingerprints of the volunteer.

(4) The Identification Bureau of the Department of Arkansas State Police shall not release the Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history report to the volunteer organization but shall review the report and the criteria provided by the volunteer organization in its registration to obtain criminal background check information on volunteers and notify the volunteer organization whether the volunteer meets the qualifications for serving as a volunteer with the organization.

(c) A volunteer organization shall consider all information received in response to a request for criminal background information confidential.