109th Congress
1st Session
S.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITES STATES
October 11, 2005
Introduced by the Democratic Senator Ms. Christian Caballero
S. A BILL
To prohibit the department from issuing or renewing a license or certificate of registration without requesting criminal history and criminal records checks for the person seeking the license or renewal or for each partner, officer or manager of the child care organization in order to protect children from abuse outside the home.
Be it enacted by the Senate of the United States of America in the Congressional Simulation assembled.
SECTION 1. TITLE.
The Criminal Checks on Child Care Workers Act
SECTION 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this bill is to protect children from sex offenders in the schools, day care centers, and summer camps they are enrolled in by requiring all employees of any of these facilities to provide a copy of their criminal history and criminal records in order to issue or renew their license or certificate of registration.
SECTION 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Many abuses toward children occur in schools, day care centers,
summer camps, and other facilities for children outside the home.
(2) Legislations protecting children from potential child abusers has been
passed, but there exists no legislation that protects children in day care or camp settings.
(3) At least thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws that requires criminal history screenings through the FBI, but other states still need to be encouraged to pass child protection laws.
(4) There are a growing number of cases where child abuse occurs outside
the home by persons already convicted of child abuse and other
serious crimes.
SECTION 4. GOALS.
The goals of this Act are as follows:
(1) To ensure that child care facilities like schools, day care centers, and
summer camps become safe for children by requiring all employees of the aforementioned establishments to go through a criminal history check and a criminal records check through the FBI in order to receive their license or certificate of registration.
(2) To make places for children outside the home as safe as possible by
hiring the most qualified employees to be around children.
(3) To prevent crimes of abuse committed against children occurring in
schools, day care facilities, and summer camps due to the lack of
knowledge about an employees criminal history and records.
SECTION 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act, shall take effect immediately after the Senate has approved the bill.
Press Release
Senator Christian Caballero – Michigan
Caballero Introduces Bill Protecting Children
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Washington, D.C. – The United States senator from the state of Michigan Christian Caballero introduced a bill to Congress protecting children outside the home in schools, day cares, and summer camps from people who have a criminal history or a criminal record. All of the employees from any of these institutions must undergo a criminal history and criminal record check by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to receive their license or certificate of registration. By passing this bill into law, the United States would be ensuring the safety of our children and would help prevent numerous crimes against children from occurring by running a simple check on the people employed by institutions attended by children.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Dear Colleagues,
This is Senator Christian Caballero of Michigan writing you this letter to inform you of my current bill proposal. The bill that I am introducing to Congress is entitled The Criminal Checks on Child Care Workers Act. Moreover, the purpose of the bill is to protect children in institutions outside the home like schools, day care centers, and summer camps. Under the requirements of this bill, all employees of these facilities where children are enrolled at would have to undergo a criminal history and a criminal record check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to ensure that these employees are safe to be around children. After the employees successfully clear the investigation, they would be allowed to receive their licenses or certificates of registration. The importance for this bill to become law is phenomenal considering that it deals with the safety of innocent children who should be protected from abuse occurring in institutions which they are enrolled in. In passes years, legislation protecting children from abusers has been passed, but there exists no legislation that protects children in day care or camp settings. It is up to us the members of Congress to keep the safety of our children protected. I strongly urge you to support this bill and allow it to become law.
Sincerely,
Senator Christian Caballero – Michigan