AN ACT

 

1Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in judicial boards and
3commissions, authorizing the Pennsylvania Board of Law
4Examiners to obtain criminal history record checks.

5The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6hereby enacts as follows:

7Section 1. Chapter 21 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
8Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:

9Subchapter G

10Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners

11Sec.

122161. Criminal history record checks.

13§ 2161. Criminal history record checks.

14(a) Authorization.--The Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners
15may require that persons applying for admission to the bar and
16the practice of law in this Commonwealth <-submit be subject to:

17(1) A Federal criminal history record check through the
18Federal Bureau of Investigation.

1(2) A State criminal history record check through the
2Pennsylvania State Police.

3(b) Fingerprints required.--<-If an applicant All applicants
4as required under subsection (a) <-submits shall submit
5fingerprints to the Pennsylvania State Police for the purpose of
6obtaining criminal history record checks, <-and the Pennsylvania
7State Police, or its authorized agent, shall submit the
8fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the
9purpose of verifying the identity of the applicant and obtaining
10a current record of any criminal arrests and convictions.

11(c) Use of information.--Any information relating to an
12applicant and obtained under this section by the Pennsylvania
13Board of Law Examiners may be interpreted and used by the
14Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners <-only to determine the
15applicant's character, fitness and suitability for admission to
16the bar and the practice of law in this Commonwealth.

17(d) Inapplicability.--The provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 9121(b)
18(2) (relating to general regulations) shall not apply if a
19request for a criminal history record check is submitted
20pursuant to this section.

21Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.