2013 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 23 - Health and Safety
Chapter 23-17.7.1 - Licensing of Nursing Service Agencies
Section 23-17.7.1-17 - Criminal records review.

§ 23-17.7.1-17 Criminal records review. – (a) Any person seeking employment in a facility which is or is required to be licensed or registered with the department of health if that employment involves routine contact with a patient or resident without the presence of other employees, shall undergo a criminal background check, which shall be initiated prior to, or within one week of, employment. All employees hired prior to the enactment of this section shall be exempted from the requirements of this section.

(b) The director of the department of health may, by rule, identify those positions requiring criminal background checks. The employee, through the employer, shall apply to the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or local police department for a statewide criminal records check. Fingerprinting shall not be required. Upon the discovery of any disqualifying information as defined in § 23-17.7.1-20 and in accordance with the rule promulgated by the director of the department of health, the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police department will inform the applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information; and, without disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information, will notify the employer, in writing, that disqualifying information has been discovered.

(c) An employee against whom disqualifying information under § 23-17.7.1-20(b) has been found may request that a copy of the criminal background report be sent to the employer who shall make a judgment regarding the continued employment of the employee.

(d) In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been found, the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police shall inform the applicant and the employer, in writing, of this fact.

(e) The employer shall maintain on file, subject to inspection by the department of health, evidence that criminal records checks have been initiated on all employees. Failure to maintain that evidence would be grounds to revoke the license or registration of the employer.

(f) It shall be the responsibility of the bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police department to conduct the criminal records check to the applicant for employment without charge to either the employee or the employer.

History of Section.
(P.L. 2005, ch. 127, § 2; P.L. 2005, ch. 168, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 475, § 49.)