Santa Fe, NM - This evening, the House of Representatives passed legislation to enhance protections for New Mexico students. House Bill 127 is sponsored by Rep. David Adkins, and it passed by a vote of 59 to 2.
"Parents need this assurance that school districts have made every effort to keep their kids safe," said Adkins. "Passing the bill through the House is the first step. I encourage the Senate to approve this bill and send it to the Governor's desk."
The bill would require all school district employees, regardless of their position, to pass a background check. The proposal would close a loophole that exempts school employees who have worked continuously in the same district prior to 1998 from receiving background checks. The proposal by Adkins would make it mandatory for all new hires and current employees of school districts to pass a background check.
Under current law, many school employees, such as cooks and custodial staff, have frequent contact with students but they are not subject to the background check requirement. In addition, other employees, like district administrative staff, do not often interact directly with students and are not required to go through a background check, but they still have access to schools and students.
Employees without a background check would have until July 2017 to comply with the law.
