Tag: ORI#

Categories
Live Scan Fingerprinting in Florida (General)

Mobile Fingerprinting in Florida

You have heard about mobile fingerprinting services, but not sure if this service is effective or applicable to your personal or business situation. IDENTICO LLC is FDLE approved live scan vendor with ability to serve your organization with mobile unit, at your location and at your convenience. We are not reading your mind, but if you need to complete any of the followings, then you need to contact us today:  
  • You or your staff are required to get fingerprinted on live scan equipment in order to be compliant with AHCA, DCF, Department of Elderly Affairs, Medicaid Provider Services or VECHS requirement on background screening
  • You believe that it will be great if live scan fingerprinting company will come to your location and conducts a level 2 background check on all employees in one session
  • You are located and need  fingerprinting in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach or Martin County and thinking about getting fingerprinted ASAP
  • You found out that IDENTICO doesn’t charge a traveling fee if there are 10 or more individuals to be fingerprinted at single location, but even if there are less than 10 people the traveling fee can be as less as $14
  • Don’t be surprise to find out, that our Mobile Fingerprinting unit can fingerprint up-to 85 persons/ day in one single session
  • And most importantly here is the schedule of fee for live scan submissions as well as printing on hard copy fingerprint cards:

 

–  AHCA (Agency for Healthcare Administration) Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening includes all healthcare providers – $80.00/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   –  DCF (Department of Children and Families) Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening. For personnel in Childcare, Mental Health, Developmentally Disabled Care, and Summer Camp programs- $62.00/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee. Consumer must present a valid OCA# number issued by regional DCF office.   –  APD (Agency for Persons with Disabilities) Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening, including CDC+, Medicaid Waiver, Support Coordinators and Group Homes–$80.00/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee. Consumer must present a valid OCA# number issued by regional DCF office.   –  DOEA (Department of Elderly Affairs) Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening for Aging Network Providers & Volunteers, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Volunteers- $62/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   –  DBPR (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations). Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening for Real Estate Sales and Brokers, Real Estate Appraisers, General Contractor, Community Association Managers, Alcoholic, Beverages and Tobacco, Home Inspectors, Mold Remediation or Assessment, Talent Agents, Athlete Agents, Employee Leasing, Slot Machine, Yacht and ship brokers License Applicants-$54.25/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   –  DOACS (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services) Division of Licensing, Security and Firearm (D & G) License, Private Investigator (C or CC License), Pawn broker, and all other F.S. 493 applicants- $48.25/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   –  DHSMV (Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles) Level 2 Live Scan Background Screening for Motor vehicle, mobile home and recreational vehicle dealers’ licensees, Commercial driving school instructors, agents and employees- $57.25/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   –  Legal Name Change Petitioners in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County Courts • FDLE criminal history expunction or sealing- $54.25/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   – VECHS (Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System) for qualified entities providing some type of “care” or “care placement services” for children, the elderly or the disabled- $47.25/Person for Volunteers and $54.25/person for Employees, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   -FBI criminal history checks for out of country Immigration or legal matters requiring fingerprinting-12$ for hard copy fingerprinting.   – Public and Private School Employees and Contractors. Consumer must present a valid ORI#, OCA# or VECHS number. Fees may vary, please contact us for accurate quote.   -Professional and Non-Professional Guardian Program in Dade-Broward-Palm Beach- $54.25/Person, Includes State & Federal Fees, Taxes, IDENTICO Processing fee.   – Standard FBI Applicant fingerprint card (FD-258) fingerprinting for Federal and State Banking/Investment permits/licenses- 15$ for hard copy fingerprinting.   For more information or to schedule your appointment please contact us today at (954) 239-8590 or visit our official website www.myidentico.com, for more information. Our office is located at 3948 Pembroke Road, Suite E, Pembroke Park, FL, 33021, and if you decide to use our in office services feel free to visit us. We have an open-door no appointment is required policy, however if you would like to schedule an appointment at certain time, please visit http://www.myidentico.com/hitappoint/ and we’ll serve you first regardless of any wait line.   Sincerely, IDENTICO LLC.
Categories
Live Scan Fingerprinting in Florida (General)

Electronic Fingerprinting Frequently Asked Questions

Applicants for Florida State Agencies Level 2 Background Check Clearance can use any Livescan vendor that has been approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to submit their fingerprints to the department. Please ensure that the Originating Agency Identification (ORI) number is provided to the vendor when you submit your fingerprints. If you do not provide an ORI number or if you provide an incorrect ORI number to the vendor, the requesting regulatory agency will not receive your fingerprint results. The applicants are fully responsible for selecting the vendor, and IDENTICO– FDLE approved live scan vendor can assist you with determination that submission of the fingerprints is made to the proper state agency.

 

1. How do I find a Livescan vendor in order to submit my fingerprints to the department?
If you are reading this post, you already found one. IDENTICO is FDLE approved livescan vendor, but for the list of livescan vendors near you please visit

 

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/getdoc/941d4e90-131a-45ef-8af3-3c9d4efefd8e/Livescan-Service-Providers-and-Device-Vendors.aspx#Service_Providers.

 

2.What information must I provide to the Livescan vendor I choose?
a) If you are an applicant seeking a level 2 clearance with AHCA, DCF, DOEA or applying for license for any profession regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which requires a criminal background search as a condition of licensure, you must provide accurate demographic information at the time your fingerprints are taken, including your Social Security number. AHCA, DCF, DBPR and most other state agencies will not be able to process the submission that does not include your Social Security number (except for DBPR Liquor & Tobacco license applicants that are not citizens of the United States).
b) Please make sure that you clearly identify the profession or Agency whose clearance or license you are seeking and submit your fingerprints payment to the live scan vendor. Any inaccurate information that you provide could cause a delay in processing your request.
c) You must provide the correct ORI number

 

3. Where do I get the ORI number to submit to the vendor?
Requesting state agency shall provide you with ORI# number, but in most cases we in IDENTICO have the correct ORI# numbers for the required submission.
FDLE will only retain the criminal results from applicants for a period of six months from the date the fingerprints were rolled. Applicants for DBPR should submit their applications soon after submitting their fingerprints in order to afford themselves an opportunity to resolve any application deficiencies prior to the expiration of the criminal history results.

 

4. How does the electronic fingerprinting process actually work?
In the traditional method of fingerprinting, ink is applied to each of your fingers which are then “rolled” across a fingerprint card to obtain your prints. With electronic fingerprinting also known as live scan fingerprinting, there is no ink or card. Your fingerprints are “rolled” across a glass plate and scanned. It is faster and cleaner than the traditional method. Electronic fingerprinting reduces the likelihood of illegible fingerprints and will reduce the overall application processing time.

 

5. How long will it take to have my fingerprints scanned?
It should only take approximately 5-10 minutes.

 

6. How much does electronic fingerprinting cost?
The total fee charged by each vendor varies. Please contact IDENTICO to obtain this information or visit

https://myidentico.com/fbi-screening.html

for the price list. The fingerprint results are usually received by the requesting state agency in two to four days after your fingerprints are scanned.

 

7. What do I need to bring with me to the Florida electronic fingerprinting site?
All applicants will be required to bring two (2) forms of identification to the electronic fingerprinting site on the day of fingerprinting. One of the two types of identification must bear your picture and signature such as a driver’s license, state identification card or passport.

 

8. I submitted my fingerprint through an FDLE approved vendor, but I have now received a deficiency letter regarding my fingerprints or my employer did not receive any results of my screening? What should I do?

As of the date of the mailing of the deficiency letter, your electronic fingerprinting results have not been transmitted to requesting agency or were submitted with information not matching you application with employer or information on file at licensing agency. Don’t take a chance and don’t use the questionable vendors. Contact few vendors with your questions and see whether customer service is knowledgeable, speaks your language, and can guarantee the timely and correct submission. IDENTICO should be the vendor of your choice, feel free to ask for our referrals, credentials or experience. Call us today (954) 239-8590 or visit our official page at www.myidentico.com

 

9. What should I do if I am notified by regulatory state agency that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or the Federal Bureau of Investigation determined my electronic fingerprints were illegible?
The electronic fingerprint scanning machines are equipped to determine if your fingerprints scanned successfully; however, if it is determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that your prints were not legible, regulatory state agency will send you a notification letter asking you to go back to the same vendor that did your initial prints and schedule a re-roll of your prints. You will be required to bring the notification letter with you as information such as the TCN (Transaction Control Number) and TCR (Transaction Control Reference) must be identified and used at the time of the reroll. There  re-roll of your fingerprints is free at IDENTICO when you provide the TCR# number.

 

10. How long are my fingerprints valid for?
Each Florida agency retain the results of prints for a various time frame. The clearance with AHCA, DCF or APD is valid for 5 years, and re-screening is required every 5 years. DBPR will retain the results of the prints for 24 months (12 months for Real Estate/Real Estate Appraisers) from the date your digital fingerprints were electronically received by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE retains the prints for 180 days only. If your prints have expired at the time your application is submitted to the licensing agency, you will be required to submit new prints again.

 

11. Can I use my recent prints to apply for another professional license?
Your prints cannot be shared between professions or with other agencies. You are required to have separate prints for each license you are applying for.

 

Categories
APD Background Screening DCF Background Screening

The answers to questions frequently asked about DCF Level 2 Background Screening

Why does the State conduct background screening of prospective employees?

The law is intended to protect the safety of all vulnerable children and adults we serve.

 

As a current employee of DCF/ APD will I be re-screened?

Not right away. Current employees are not required to be re-screened due to changes in law until they are otherwise required to be re-screened.

 

Where can I find my ORI and OCA numbers?

You need to contact your regional coordinator to obtain those numbers. A list of regional contacts is located on the DCF background screening web site under quick links.

 

When do the new guidelines requiring “clearance” prior to filling a position take effect?

August 1, 2010

 

What is the major impact of the new fingerprinting and screening law?

The major difference is effective, August 1, 2010, individuals, may no longer begin work until they have been screened and have received clearance from the Department.

 

Who must be screened?

Staff and volunteers working in programs that provide services to the developmentally disabled, mental health programs, substance abuse programs, child care centers, residential child caring agency and child placing agency, summer camps and programs contracted to DCF that serve children.

 

Who Should be Screened?

 

Statute Regulatory Agency Group Subject to Screening
39 DCF Persons considered for placement of dependent children
39, 402, 409 DCF Employees that serve children, child care facility, family day care home, family foster home, residential child caring agency, child placing agency, summer day and 24 hour camp owners or operators, employees and volunteers that work over 10 hours a month.
393 DCF, APD Any direct care provider, 18 years of age or older who has direct face-to-face contact with a client while providing services to the client or has access to a client’s living areas or to a client’s funds or personal property.
394, 408 DCF Employees within mental health facilities and employees providing care for children and adults – directors, professional clinicians, staff members and volunteers
395 DCF, APD For unlicensed staff, such as dietary and custodial staff, who work in a licensed general hospital, pursuant to Ch. 395, F.S., whose duties require them to work within the psychiatric unit/ward of the hospital, these staff and volunteers are required to comply with Level 2 background screening requirements. These unlicensed staff would meet the definition of “Mental Health Personnel” according to s. 394.4572 (1) (a), F.S. and must comply with the background screening requirements in Ch. 435 and 408, F.S. They would also be required to comply with any other screening provisions applicable to Chapter 395, F.S.”
397 DCF All owners, directors, and chief financial officers of service providers. All service provider personnel who have direct contact with children receiving services or with adults who are developmentally disabled receiving services. Members of a foster family and persons residing with the foster family who are over the age of 18. A volunteer who assists on an intermittent basis that totals 40 or more hours per month.
984, 985, 435 DCF, DJJ Juvenile delinquency program employees providing care for children

 

What happens if a current employee who at the time of their original screening, did not have a disqualifying offense under Ch. 435, F.S., is re-screened and the rescreening discloses a disqualifying offense under Ch. 435 or 408 (if applicable)?

 

All employees should be re-screened at their regularly scheduled re-screening date. At that time, if the rescreening discloses a disqualifying offense the employee would be disqualified and would need to seek an exemption to be eligible to continue working in any position that requires background screening.

 

After selecting an applicant for a position when will they be able to report for duty?

 

Effective August 1, 2010, applicants cannot start to work until all results are back and cleared or have received an exemption from disqualification.

 

Will exemptions for disqualifying offenses still be allowed based on the new law?

 

Yes, there will still be an exemption process.

 

Do the background screening provisions of HB 7069 apply to substance abuse treatment providers licensed under Chapter 397?

 

Yes, the changes made to the general background screening statute ch. 435 apply to ch. 397 in the same way it does to the other authorizing statutes which require background screening. But it should be noted that HB 7079 made significant changes to the general background screening statute chapter 435 as well as certain other statutes which authorize and require background screening as a condition of employment or continued employment such as chapters 39; 393; 394; 402; 408; and 409. However, HB 7069 did not make any specific changes to ch. 397.

 

What steps should an employer take to ensure that current employees are aware of the new disqualifying offenses and the impact these offenses may have on their employment qualifications?

 

Employees should be reminded that the background screening laws have always required that employees inform their employer if the employee was convicted of any disqualifying offense while employed but now requires that the employee inform the employer of any arrest for any disqualifying offense and that there are some new disqualifying offenses.

 

Employers are not required to rescreen employees earlier than the employee’s regularly scheduled rescreening date unless the employer has reason to believe a particular employee is ineligible for employment. If an employer has reason to believe that a current employee is or maybe ineligible for employment due to having been arrested with disposition pending for; having been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere or guilty to any disqualifying offense, the employer should immediately have the employee rescreened to confirm and determine the employee’s eligibility or ineligibility for employment. The employer should take the appropriate steps depending upon the results of the rescreening.

 

What are the screening requirements for persons between the ages of 12 and 18 who are members of the family or reside in a home which is either licensed as or has a license application pending for an APD Direct Service Provider (ch. 393); a Child Care facility (ch. 402); or, a Family Foster Home (ch. 409).

 

All three of the above statutes provide that the child is not to be fingerprinted but rather is to be screened for delinquency records. The results of screenings of persons between the ages of 12 and 18 in the home under chapters 393,402 and 409 are no longer to be utilized as an automatic disqualifier for the applicant for a license or license renewal. Since the child is not required to be licensed and is not providing any service for which the license is being issued, any information resulting from the screening of the child is to be used in the same way other information from employment checks or local law enforcement checks is utilized to assist in the decision making rather than as an automatic disqualification for the license applicant.

 

Recently the issue of screenings for children 12 to 18 years of age who are the family members or who reside with an individual who is seeking to be licensed or to have a license renewed for operating a family foster home under chapter 409 was raised. The specific question asked was “Does the “screening” requirement in chapter 409 for children (12 to 18 years of age) in the home of a foster family home licensee or applicant for such a license require the applicant or licensee be disqualified for licensure or license renewal if the results of the child’s screening indicate an offense listed in chapter 435?

 

Section 435.01, Florida Statutes applies broadly and provides that “Unless otherwise provided by law, whenever a background screening for employment or a background security check is required by law to be conducted pursuant to this chapter, the provisions of this chapter apply.”

 

The licensure statute for family foster homes, chapter 409, expressly provides for different “screening” of 12 to 18 year old family members. Subsection 409.175(2)(i) specifies that “ For purposes of screening, the term includes any member, over the age of 12 years, of the family of the owner or operator . . . residing with the owner or operator . . . Members of the family of the owner or operator . . . who are between the ages of 12 years and 18 years are not required to be fingerprinted, but must be screened for delinquency records….”

 

While Chapter 435 prescribes disqualifying offenses, exemption processes, etc., it does not provide any standards for application to the expressly different “screening” above. Accordingly, it would not be unreasonable to construe that the Legislature never intended that the Chapter 435 standards apply to 12 to 18 year old members of the family of the owner or operator.

 

After consulting with the legislative staff on the interpretation of this provision, DCF will no longer utilize the results of the screening of 12 to 18 year olds in the home as an automatic disqualifier for the license applicant. Since the child is not required to be licensed and is not providing any service for which the license is being issued, the information is to be used in the same way other information from employment checks or local law enforcement checks is utilized to assist in the decision making rather than as an automatic disqualification for the license applicant. Because the screenings for the children are not based upon the ch. 435 standards, there is no need to seek an exemption for any negative results of the child’s screening.

 

Although the question was raised regarding the 12 to 18 year old screenings under the family foster homes statute, the department conducts screenings under two other statutes which also expressly provide for the same different “screening” of 12 to 18 year old family members. The first is the licensing statute for the direct service providers under chapter 393 (APD) and child care licensees under chapter 402 (DCF). Both of these statutes require that when the facility in question is the residence or adjacent to the residence of the license applicant, that members of the household between the ages of 12 and 18 are to be screened but under the same limited manner of a search of the child’s delinquency records.

 

Section 393.0655, requires screening of persons 12 years of age or older, including family members, residing with a direct services provider who provides services to clients in his or her own place of residence but specifies that “those persons who are 12 to 18 years of age shall be screened for delinquency records only.”

 

Sections 402.302; 313; and 3131, all expressly provide for a different “screening” for persons in the home between the ages of 12 and 18. These section provide that “members of the operator’s family or persons residing with the operator who are between the ages of 12 years and 18 years are not required to be fingerprinted but must be screened for delinquency records.”

 

 

Categories
APD Background Screening DCF Background Screening

Background Screening requirements for CDC+ program run by Florida APD

CDC+ Background Screening Process Information

 

1. Consumer Directed Care Plus (CDC+) participate/representative (the employer) selects prospective employee/ independent contractor to provide services.

 

2. CDC+ Employer has good moral character form filled out and notarized for the prospective employee/independent contractor.

 

3. CDC+ Employer gives background screening packet to the prospective employee/independent contractor who completes the forms and then goes to an approved Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) vendor to get his fingerprints taken. The fingerprint vendor (who took the prints) is responsible for sending results to FDLE. This must be accomplished using the CDC + ORI/OCA codes.

 

4. Background screening is completed by (FDLE)/Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and results returned to Department of Children and Families (DCF) or Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).

 

5. DCF determines eligibility and emails the clearance letter to APD for Area staff to print and provide to CDC+ Consultant.

 

6. CDC+ Consultant gives clearance letter to CDC+ employer to place the clearance letter, the good moral character form, and local checks if completed in the employee file for review as needed.

 

7. The CDC+ employer will retain a copy of the completed background screening packet in their CDC+ file as part of their employee files to be available upon request for review.

 

8. CDC+ employers can share copies of the clearance letter with other CDC+ employers. The new employer must ensure there has not been a break in employment of more than 90 days. Such person must attest under penalty of perjury to not having been convicted of a disqualifying offense since completing their last screening (Good Moral Character form).

 

9. Effective August 2010, Florida’s background screening laws changed to require that all employees of CDC+ participants pass a level 2 background screening before they can begin working for the CDC+ participant who is their employer. A CDC+ participant may share the results of his or her employee’s background screening with another CDC+ participant in order for the other CDC+ participant to use the results as proof of the employee’s having passed the background screening. However, it is the responsibility of the CDC+ participant who receives the background  screening results to make sure the employee in question was employed during that time with no break in employment longer than 90 days.

 

10. If it is a Provider Agency, (i.e. staffing agency for nursing services, Adult Day Training, etc.) then the letter is provided to screened employee after the screening is completed and the Provider Agency would maintain the file for review as the CDC+ employer is subcontracting with this agency.

 

NOTE: The CDC+ Employee can always ask for the scheduled employee coming to the consumer home to bring a copy of the employee clearance letter to ensure that the Agency has conducted the employee screening and the CDC+ employee can be assured that the employee providing direct care to consumer is compliant with the law.

 

IDENTICO LLC is FDLE authorized Live Scan vendor serving APD and CDC+ providers in Area 15, Area 9, Area 10 and Area 11. We can travel to almost every location in Martin County, Palm Beach county, Broward County and Miami Dade County and fingerprint larger groups with our mobile fingerprinting unit. With any question related to APD and CDC+ background screening please call us at (954) 239-8590 or visit us online at www.myidentico.com for more information. You can also schedule the appointment and visit our office located at 3948 Pembroke Road, Suite E, Pembroke Park, FL, 33021. Bring your ID and OCA# number, the cost of screening is $80.00

 

Sincerely,

IDENTICO LLC.

Categories
AHCA Background Screening

What is the Electronic Screening and how does live scan work?

All Level 2 screening requests by AHCA must be submitted electronically. The Agency will no longer process Level 1 or Level 2 screening requests or fees after July 31, 2010. Any Level 1 or Level 2 screening request and fees submitted to the Agency’s Background Screening Section after July 31, 2010 will be returned to the sender unprocessed.

 

Forms of “electronic screening:”

 

LiveScan device is a term used to describe the scanners used to directly capture fingerprints through a scanning function. Person being screened place their hands directly on the scanner for reading. Fingerprint scanning using a LiveScan device provides faster results and generally costs less that hard card scanning as there is less handling involved. LiveScan capture also produces a better quality print, so has a lower rejection rate of illegible prints (no ink smudging, etc).

 

LiveScan options – There are several options for LiveScan capture including:

 

  • LiveScan vendors approved to submit fingerprint requests through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE ). These vendors generally require advanced online reservations or appointments and charge a fee for use of the LiveScan in addition to the FDLE screening fee of $43.25. LiveScan devices are either available at specific locations or through mobile services where the vendor will either come to the provider location (based on certain volumes and fees) or another pre-arranged location. LiveScan vendors are independent businesses and each must be contacted in advance to determine fees, services and enrollment requirements. For more information regarding LiveScan vendors please see Florida LiveScan Vendor List for contact information, locations and pricing, and the FDLE LiveScan Site.
  • LiveScan devices (machines) may be purchased/leased by providers who wish to handle their own fingerprint capture. Several business offer machines (sale or lease) however, it is important to assure that any selection is approved for submission through FDLE and all requirements of fingerprint submission are met. For more information visit the FDLE LiveScan Site or the AHCA Cogent contract (Option 1 or Option 2).

 

Hard card scanning is a method of submitting a traditional fingerprint card where finger prints are “rolled’ in ink onto an FBI fingerprint card. Cards may be converted to “electronic” by using a machine that scans the cards. There is typically a fee associated with “rolling the prints” as a high degree of skill is required to achieve the necessary quality. Hard cards for AHCA screening must be obtained from AHCA because they must include the pre-printed AHCA ORI# to assure results are returned appropriately.

Categories
VECHS Program

Jessica Lunsford Act. Level 2 Backgroud Screening for School Districts and Private Schools.

The Jessica Lunsford Act was passed by the 2005 Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Bush following the assault and murder of Jessica Lunsford in Homosassa Springs, Florida. This crime was allegedly committed by an individual who had at one time worked as a subcontracted mason at Jessica Lunsford’s school. The Act focused primarily on increasing the measures used to monitor sexual offenders or predators. However, part of the Act specifically related to individuals with access to school district campuses. This Technical Assistance Paper (TAP) is to provide assistance to districts and contractual personnel to implement s. 1012.465, Florida Statutes, as amended by the 2005 Legislature.

 

Section 1012.465, Florida Statutes, now states:


(1) Non-instructional school district employees or contractual personnel who are permitted access on school grounds when students are present, who have direct contact with students or who have access to or control of school funds must meet Level 2 screening requirements as described in s. 1012.32, F.S. Contractual personnel shall include any vendor, individual, or entity under contract with the school board.
The statute, as amended, applies to three categories of either non-instructional or contractual personnel, all of whom must meet Level 2 background screening requirements, including those:


1. Who are permitted access on school grounds when students are present,
2. Who have direct contact with students, or
3. Who have access to or control of school funds.
The statute applies to such persons employed or contracted with any Florida public school district in any Florida public school, including:
-Traditional Public Schools
-Charter Schools
-Alternative Schools

District Responsibilities

 

1. Background Screening:
School districts must conduct the fingerprinting/background screening of noninstructional or contractual personnel at a location designated by the district using the code (ORI – Originating Agency Identifier) issued to the district by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), and determine whether the individual has been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude.

 

2. Verification of Personnel on School Campuses:
For affected persons, each district must establish policies and procedures to ensure that only individuals who have undergone a background screening and have been approved to come on campus are allowed access on school grounds when students are present, or to have direct contact with students, or to have access or control over school funds.
In addition, each district must establish communication policies and procedures to ensure that all pertinent parties are notified when an individual terminates service with the district.

 

3. Sharing of Records:
Districts may share background screening results with other public school districts and are encouraged to do so to reduce the time and fiscal impact on certain service providers who may be providing contractual services in multiple districts.
Such persons may include:
– Vendors, including soda/milk/snack vendors under contract with the district
-Sports officials
-Construction contractors and subcontractors
-Senior ring, photography, or yearbook vendors

 

Should districts choose to share records, it is recommended that the cooperating districts execute a Memorandum of Understanding which clearly spells out the role to be played by each district. Any employee provided access to criminal history records should be cautioned as to the confidentiality of the information contained within the record, and should not discuss such information outside of those also legally allowed access to such record.

 

4. Maintenance of Records:
After receiving the initial background check results from the FDLE, the original submitting district will thereafter be electronically notified by FDLE, in writing, of any new arrests. The original submitting district should forward the arrest information to any districts with which they have shared the criminal record. In addition, s. 1012.32(3), F.S., requires each school district to inform the FDLE of any change in the affiliation, employment, or contractual status of an individual previously fingerprinted.

 

The prints of an individual who terminates service with a district and is later reengaged to provide additional services must be re-submitted to the FDLE. Those individuals who provide services on a periodic basis pursuant to an on-going contract and who do not effectively break service should continue to have their arrest record results transmitted to the district by the FDLE.

 

The requirements applicable to those entities receiving fingerprint background check results are set forth in Rule 11C-6.010, promulgated by the FDLE pursuant to authority in s. 1012.32(3), F.S.

 

IDENTICO LLC provides background screening services to several private schools, whose background screening policies are based on National Child Protection Act (NCPA) as well as on Jessica Lunsford Act. Such private educational entities are qualified to obtain Level II background screening through VECHS program. Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System (VECHS) program allows for qualified entities to obtain state and national criminal history record checks on individuals working with children, the elderly or the disabled.Under the NCPA and Florida statute, a “qualified entity” is a business or organization, whether public, private, for profit, not-for-profit, or voluntary, that provides care or care placement services, including a business or organization that licenses or certifies others to provide care or care placement services. “Care” means the provision of care, treatment, education, training, instruction, supervision, or recreation to children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities.

 

If you work or volunteer for “qualified entity” and VECHS screening is required as part of your employment or volunteerism, please contact us today.  IDENTICO is FDLE authorized Live Scan vendor serving South Florida.  With any question related to Level 2 background checks please call us at (954) 239-8590 or visit us online at www.myidentico.com for more information. We provide Mobile Fingerprinting Services and would come to your facility to fingerprint any size groups. Visit our office located at 3948 Pembroke Road, Suite E, Pembroke Park, FL, 33021 for all fingerprinting, background screening or drug testing needs.