Background Check Payment Repeal for Childcare Workers (H 5634, S 792)

Rhode Island state law has long provided that “[n]o employer or agent of any employer shall charge a fee for the filing of an employment application.” Too often, though, that law has been undermined by other statutes, like those this bill would address, that require job applicants – and even volunteers – to pay for the “privilege” of being fingerprinted and having to prove their innocence. For these reasons, we strongly supported this legislation which would have waived the costs of criminal background checks for individuals seeking employment in a number of childcare positions. This legislation died in committee.