Pa. House exempts more youth workers from background checks

By Associated Press

HARRISBURG (AP) — Pennsylvania House members voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to exempt more people from a state law that requires background checks for those who work with children.

The 180-9 vote sent the Senate the proposal to limit the checks for volunteers and employees at schools, child care facilities and similar places to those who have direct and routine interaction with children.

The more vigorous checks were enacted last year as part of the Legislature's response to the child sex abuse case against former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky and scandals involving church clergy.

Some lawmakers said they hoped the Senate will remove a provision that exempts school or university workers who do not interact with students or prospective students who are less than 16 years old.

Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, said that provision would create "a safe haven on our college campuses and universities for people because they're not going to have those background checks."

The House-passed revisions to the 2014 Child Protective Services Law also would exempt infrequent volunteers if they work near somebody who has passed the checks.

The mandatory checks have generated complaints about cost and the effort required to obtain them. The Wolf administration recently announced it had waived, for volunteers, the $10 cost of criminal background checks from the state police and the $10 child abuse clearance from the Department of Human Services.

The administration also cut the cost to $8 for others. The new policy did not affect the more costly FBI checks, which are required for people who work with children if they have not lived in Pennsylvania continuously for a decade.

New volunteers must have the checks completed by July 1. Existing volunteers have until July 1, 2016.