Effective: September 29, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) The state board of education shall require each of the following persons, at the times prescribed by division (A) of this section, to undergo a criminal records check, unless the person has undergone a records check under this section or a former version of this section less than five years prior to that time.
(1) Any person initially applying for any certificate, license, or permit described in this chapter or in division (B) of section 3301.071 or in section 3301.074 of the Revised Code at the time that application is made;
(2) Any person applying for renewal of any certificate, license, or permit described in division (A)(1) of this section at the time that application is made;
(3) Any person who is teaching under a professional teaching certificate issued under former section 3319.222 of the Revised Code upon a date prescribed by the state board;
(4) Any person who is teaching under a permanent teaching certificate issued under former section 3319.22 as it existed prior to October 29, 1996, or under former section 3319.222 of the Revised Code upon a date prescribed by the state board and every five years thereafter.
(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in division (B)(2) of this section, the state board shall require each person subject to a criminal records check under this section to submit two complete sets of fingerprints and written permission that authorizes the superintendent of public instruction to forward the fingerprints to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation pursuant to division (F) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code and that authorizes that bureau to forward the fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation for purposes of obtaining any criminal records that the federal bureau maintains on the person.
(2) If both of the following conditions apply to a person subject to a criminal records check under this section, the state board shall require the person to submit one complete set of fingerprints and written permission that authorizes the superintendent of public instruction to forward the fingerprints to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation so that bureau may forward the fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation for purposes of obtaining any criminal records that the federal bureau maintains on the person:
(a) Under this section or any former version of this section, the state board or the superintendent of public instruction previously requested the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation to determine whether the bureau has any information, gathered pursuant to division (A) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code, on the person.
(b) The person presents proof that the person has been a resident of this state for the five-year period immediately prior to the date upon which the person becomes subject to a criminal records check under this section.
(C) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, prior to issuing or renewing any certificate, license, or permit for a person described in division (A)(1) or (2) of this section who is subject to a criminal records check and in the case of a person described in division (A)(3) or (4) of this section who is subject to a criminal records check, the state board or the superintendent of public instruction shall do one of the following:
(1) If the person is required to submit fingerprints and written permission under division (B)(1) of this section, request the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation to determine whether the bureau has any information, gathered pursuant to division (A) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code, pertaining to the person and to obtain any criminal records that the federal bureau of investigation has on the person.
(2) If the person is required to submit fingerprints and written permission under division (B)(2) of this section, request the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation to obtain any criminal records that the federal bureau of investigation has on the person.
(D) The state board or the superintendent of public instruction may choose not to request any information about a person required by division (C) of this section if the person provides proof that a criminal records check that satisfies the requirements of that division was conducted on the person as a condition of employment pursuant to section 3319.39 of the Revised Code within the immediately preceding year. The state board or the superintendent of public instruction may accept a certified copy of records that were issued by the bureau of criminal identification and investigation and that are presented by the person in lieu of requesting that information under division (C) of this section if the records were issued by the bureau within the immediately preceding year.
(E)(1) If a person described in division (A)(3) or (4) of this section who is subject to a criminal records check fails to submit fingerprints and written permission by the date specified in the applicable division, and the state board or the superintendent of public instruction does not apply division (D) of this section to the person, or if a person who is subject to division (G) of this section fails to submit fingerprints and written permission by the date prescribed under that division, the superintendent shall prepare a written notice stating that if the person does not submit the fingerprints and written permission within fifteen days after the date the notice was mailed, the person's application will be rejected or the person's professional or permanent teaching certificate or license will be inactivated. The superintendent shall send the notification by regular mail to the person's last known residence address or last known place of employment, as indicated in the department of education's records, or both.
If the person fails to submit the fingerprints and written permission within fifteen days after the date the notice was mailed, the superintendent of public instruction, on behalf of the state board, shall issue a written order rejecting the application or inactivating the person's professional or permanent teaching certificate or license. The rejection or inactivation shall remain in effect until the person submits the fingerprints and written permission. The superintendent shall send the order by regular mail to the person's last known residence address or last known place of employment, as indicated in the department's records, or both. The order shall state the reason for the rejection or inactivation and shall explain that the rejection or inactivation remains in effect until the person submits the fingerprints and written permission.
The rejection or inactivation of a professional or permanent teaching certificate or license under division (E)(1) of this section does not constitute a suspension or revocation of the certificate or license by the state board under section 3319.31 of the Revised Code and the state board and the superintendent of public instruction need not provide the person with an opportunity for a hearing with respect to the rejection or inactivation.
(2) If a person whose professional or permanent teaching certificate or license has been rejected or inactivated under division (E)(1) of this section submits fingerprints and written permission as required by division (B) or (G) of this section, the superintendent of public instruction, on behalf of the state board, shall issue a written order issuing or reactivating the certificate or license. The superintendent shall send the order to the person by regular mail.
(F) Notwithstanding divisions (A) to (C) of this section, if a person holds more than one certificate, license, or permit described in division (A)(1) of this section, the following shall apply:
(1) If the certificates, licenses, or permits are of different durations, the person shall be subject to divisions (A) to (C) of this section only when applying for renewal of the certificate, license, or permit that is of the longest duration. Prior to renewing any certificate, license, or permit with a shorter duration, the state board or the superintendent of public instruction shall determine whether the department of education has received any information about the person pursuant to section 109.5721 of the Revised Code, but the person shall not be subject to divisions (A) to (C) of this section as long as the person's certificate, license, or permit with the longest duration is valid.
(2) If the certificates, licenses, or permits are of the same duration but do not expire in the same year, the person shall designate one of the certificates, licenses, or permits as the person's primary certificate, license, or permit and shall notify the department of that designation. The person shall be subject to divisions (A) to (C) of this section only when applying for renewal of the person's primary certificate, license, or permit. Prior to renewing any certificate, license, or permit that is not the person's primary certificate, license, or permit, the state board or the superintendent of public instruction shall determine whether the department has received any information about the person pursuant to section 109.5721 of the Revised Code, but the person shall not be subject to divisions (A) to (C) of this section as long as the person's primary certificate, license, or permit is valid.
(3) If the certificates, licenses, or permits are of the same duration and expire in the same year and the person applies for renewal of the certificates, licenses, or permits at the same time, the state board or the superintendent of public instruction shall request only one criminal records check of the person under division (C) of this section.
(G) If the department is unable to enroll a person who has submitted an application for licensure, or to whom the state board has issued a license, in the retained applicant fingerprint database established under section 109.5721 of the Revised Code because the person has not satisfied the requirements for enrollment, the department shall require the person to satisfy the requirements for enrollment, including requiring the person to submit, by a date prescribed by the department, one complete set of fingerprints and written permission that authorizes the superintendent of public instruction to forward the fingerprints to the bureau of criminal identification and investigation for the purpose of enrolling the person in the database. If the person fails to comply by the prescribed date, the department shall reject the application or shall take action to inactivate the person's license in accordance with division (E) of this section.