PRINTER'S NO. 1080
No. 174 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY SANTONI, BARRAR, BIANCUCCI, BOYD, CAPPELLI, CURRY,
FABRIZIO, GRUCELA, HENNESSEY, JAMES, W. KELLER, KORTZ, KULA,
MANN, MYERS, PAYNE, PETRONE, PRESTON, READSHAW, SCAVELLO,
SEIP, K. SMITH AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 29, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 29, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 prepare a report with findings and recommendations on the
3 feasibility of the Pennsylvania State Police using the
4 electronic transmission of fingerprints.
5 WHEREAS, The protection and safety of children, older adults
6 and individuals with disabilities are a priority concern of the
7 general public and members of the House of Representatives; and
8 WHEREAS, Criminal history record information about an
9 individual who applies to work in a facility or program serving
10 vulnerable populations, such as children, older adults or
11 individuals with disabilities, enables an employer to determine
12 if an applicant's criminal record could jeopardize the safety
13 and well-being of children or adults; and
14 WHEREAS, A gap in safeguards currently exists because of the
15 difficulty in obtaining Federal criminal history information;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, There is a disincentive to requiring Federal
18 criminal history record information due to routine delays of
1 eight to ten weeks in obtaining Federal background checks,
2 compared to almost immediate turnaround time for requests for
3 State criminal history record information; and
4 WHEREAS, A current barrier in requesting Federal criminal
5 history record information is the use of hard-copy fingerprint
6 cards submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the
7 Pennsylvania State Police; and
8 WHEREAS, Recording an individual's fingerprint patterns
9 through a rolling process using ink can result in smudges of the
10 prints through handling and mailing, causing prints to become
11 illegible and adding to delays in processing the clearance
12 checks; and
13 WHEREAS, Improvements in technology have led to the increased
14 use of digitized fingerprints, an inkless fingerprinting process
15 that relies on the electronic transmission of fingerprints,
16 which replaces the recording of fingerprint patterns through a
17 rolling process using ink; and
18 WHEREAS, Electronically transmitted fingerprints, referred to
19 as a livescan process, can result in clearer fingerprints,
20 faster record checks and expedited hiring processes; and
21 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police are electronically
22 scanning the majority of fingerprints in criminal arrests but
23 not in other instances; therefore be it
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
25 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to prepare a report
26 with findings and recommendations on the feasibility of the
27 Pennsylvania State Police using the electronic transmission of
28 fingerprints rather than the transmission of fingerprint cards
29 to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for processing Federal
30 criminal history record information for individuals who apply
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1 for employment where they will have contact with certain
2 vulnerable populations; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That, at a minimum, the study identify the extent
4 to which the electronic transmission of fingerprints can
5 expedite the retrieval of Federal criminal history record
6 information and accelerate the job application process, costs
7 incurred by the Pennsylvania State Police related to the
8 implementation of electronic transmission of fingerprints for
9 noncriminal justice purposes, possible changes in fees for
10 individuals requesting Federal criminal history record
11 information based on the experience in other states that have
12 adopted digitized fingerprinting related to background checks
13 for employment purposes and alternatives to prevent or reduce
14 fee increases and advantages and disadvantages of designating a
15 private entity under contract with the Pennsylvania State Police
16 to administer requests for Federal or State criminal history
17 record information for noncriminal justice purposes;
18 and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
20 report its findings and recommendations to the House of
21 Representatives by December 31, 2007.
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