Posted: | December 15, 2020 11:37 AM |
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From: | Representative Gerald J. Mullery |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Requiring Background Checks for School Board Candidates |
State law requires teachers, school administrators, and various other individuals to obtain clearances to work with children, yet we fail to hold elected school board members to this same standard. Throughout our state, school board members interact with students without the same level of accountability as educators. This is why I am introducing legislation to amend the Pennsylvania Election Code by adding a new section requiring all candidates running for school board to submit a report of state and federal criminal history record information, a certificate from the Department of Health clarifying whether the candidate is a perpetrator in a child abuse investigation, and a full set of fingerprints. If a candidate does not obtain these clearances, they will be ineligible to run for school board. I ask that you join me in supporting this legislation. It is time that we hold school board members to the same standards as other individuals who work with our children. |
Introduced as HB851