Expanding Background Checks to a National Level: Indiana’s New Bill

Indiana is gearing up to make the state a safe haven for its younglings by making sure that all school employees meet with the stringent requirements and that the right set of people are selected for such important roles.

The Indiana General Assembly has proposed a bill for expanding background checks on school employees. State Representative Randy Truitt showed his support by stating that, ” it’s absolutely critical that we do what’s necessary to make sure those individuals that are not only in our schools, teaching the kids, but quite frankly, in any public sector have the proper background checks.” Sheila Klinker, also a state representative, said that this expansion is necessary because, “We have found in a couple of recent cases, that the teachers have come from another state and that background did not follow them into our state.”

This new bill expands the statewide check to a national level background check. This means that if a person has a criminal record in another state, it will turn up when a school in Indiana runs a check. As of now, it looks like the school corporation may pay the required fees for these extensive background checks.

When thinking about such new propositions, the key factor to remember is that it is essential that the individuals who shape our next generation are screened and suitable to shoulder this major responsibility. We applaud this effort and hope that others will follow suit.