(a) As used in this section and sections 10-232b and 10-232c, “eligible school operator” means a school or school district authorized to receive national criminal history record information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation pursuant to P.L. 92-544, and shall include a local or regional board of education, the Technical Education and Career System and an interdistrict magnet school operator other than an operator who is a third-party not-for-profit corporation approved by the Commissioner of Education.

(b) Each eligible school operator shall, subject to the provisions of § 31-51i, (1) require each applicant for a position with such eligible school operator to state, in writing, whether such applicant has ever been convicted of a crime or whether criminal charges are pending against such applicant at the time of such application and, if charges are pending, to state the charges and the court in which such charges are pending, (2) require each applicant to submit to a records check of the Department of Children and Families child abuse and neglect registry established pursuant to § 17a-101k, before such applicant may be hired by such eligible school operator, and (3) on and after July 1, 2019, require, subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, each applicant for a position with such eligible school operator to submit to state and national criminal history records checks within thirty days from the date of employment and may require, subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section, any person hired prior to said date to submit to state and national criminal history records checks. The criminal history records checks required by this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with § 29-17a. If the eligible school operator receives notice of a conviction of a crime which has not previously been disclosed by such person to the eligible school operator, the eligible school operator may (A) terminate the contract of a certified employee, in accordance with the provisions of § 10-151, and (B) dismiss a noncertified employee, provided such employee is notified of the reason for such dismissal. If the eligible school operator receives notice of a conviction of a crime by a person holding a certificate, authorization or permit issued by the State Board of Education, the eligible school operator shall send such notice to the State Board of Education. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to cause an eligible school operator to disseminate the results of any national criminal history records check.

(c) If an eligible school operator requests, a regional educational service center shall arrange for the fingerprinting of any person required to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to this section or for conducting any other method of positive identification required by the State Police Bureau of Identification or the Federal Bureau of Investigation and shall forward such fingerprints or other positive identifying information to the State Police Bureau of Identification which shall conduct criminal history records checks in accordance with § 29-17a. Such regional educational service center shall maintain such fingerprints or other positive identifying information, which may be in an electronic format, for a period of four years, at the end of which such fingerprints and positive identifying information shall be destroyed. The State Police Bureau of Identification shall provide the results of such checks to such eligible school operator. No regional educational service center shall charge a fee for services under this subsection that exceeds any fee that the center may charge any applicant for a position with such center.

(d) State and national criminal history records checks for substitute teachers completed within one year prior to the date of employment with an eligible school operator and submitted to the employing eligible school operator shall meet the requirements of subsection (b) of this section. An eligible school operator shall not require substitute teachers to submit to state and national criminal history records checks pursuant to subsection (b) of this section if they are continuously employed by such eligible school operator, provided a substitute teacher is subjected to such checks at least once every five years. For purposes of this section, substitute teachers shall be deemed to be continuously employed by an eligible school operator if they are employed at least one day of each school year by such eligible school operator.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) a student employed by the eligible school operator that operates a school which the student attends, or (2) a person employed by an eligible school operator as a teacher for a noncredit adult class or adult education activity, as defined in § 10-67, who is not required to hold a teaching certificate pursuant to § 10-145b for his or her position.

(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (g) of § 31-51i, and to the extent permissible under state and federal laws regarding the dissemination of criminal history records, the State Board of Education shall, upon request of an eligible school operator, make available to such eligible school operator requesting information concerning an applicant for a position with such eligible school operator (1) any information concerning the applicant’s eligibility for employment in a position with such eligible school operator requiring a certificate, authorization or permit issued pursuant to chapter 166, (2) whether the department has knowledge that the applicant has been disciplined for a finding of abuse or neglect or sexual misconduct, as defined in § 10-222c, and any information concerning such a finding, and (3) whether the department has received notification that the applicant has been convicted of a crime or of criminal charges pending against the applicant and any information concerning such charges. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to cause the state board to investigate any such request or disseminate the results of any national criminal history records check.