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An Act to amend and reenact §
19.2-389
, as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
54.1-3707.2
, relating to social work; licensure; criminal background check.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
19.2-389
, as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
54.1-3707.2
as follows:
§
19.2-389
. (Effective July 1, 2026) Dissemination of criminal history record information.
A. Criminal history record information shall be disseminated, whether directly or through an intermediary, only to:
1. Authorized officers or employees of criminal justice agencies, as defined by §
9.1-101
, for purposes of the administration of criminal justice and the screening of an employment application or review of employment by a criminal justice agency with respect to its own employees or applicants, and dissemination to the Virginia Parole Board, pursuant to this subdivision, of such information on all state-responsible inmates for the purpose of making parole determinations pursuant to subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 of §
53.1-136
shall include collective dissemination by electronic means every 30 days. For purposes of this subdivision, criminal history record information includes information sent to the Central Criminal Records Exchange pursuant to §§
37.2-819
and
64.2-2014
when disseminated to any full-time or part-time employee of the State Police, a police department or sheriff's office that is a part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, and who is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of the penal, traffic or highway laws of the Commonwealth for the purposes of the administration of criminal justice;
2. Such other individuals and agencies that require criminal history record information to implement a state or federal statute or executive order of the President of the United States or Governor that expressly refers to criminal conduct and contains requirements or exclusions expressly based upon such conduct, except that information concerning the arrest of an individual may not be disseminated to a noncriminal justice agency or individual if an interval of one year has elapsed from the date of the arrest and no disposition of the charge has been recorded and no active prosecution of the charge is pending;
3. Individuals and agencies pursuant to a specific agreement with a criminal justice agency to provide services required for the administration of criminal justice pursuant to that agreement which shall specifically authorize access to data, limit the use of data to purposes for which given, and ensure the security and confidentiality of the data;
4. Individuals and agencies for the express purpose of research, evaluative, or statistical activities pursuant to an agreement with a criminal justice agency that shall specifically authorize access to data, limit the use of data to research, evaluative, or statistical purposes, and ensure the confidentiality and security of the data;
5. Agencies of state or federal government that are authorized by state or federal statute or executive order of the President of the United States or Governor to conduct investigations determining employment suitability or eligibility for security clearances allowing access to classified information;
6. Individuals and agencies where authorized by court order or court rule;
7. Agencies of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, public transportation companies owned, operated or controlled by any political subdivision, and any public service corporation that operates a public transit system owned by a local government for the conduct of investigations of applicants for employment, permit, or license whenever, in the interest of public welfare or safety, it is necessary to determine under a duly enacted ordinance if the past criminal conduct of a person with a conviction record would be compatible with the nature of the employment, permit, or license under consideration;
7a. Commissions created pursuant to the Transportation District Act of 1964 (§
33.2-1900
et seq.) of Title 33.2 and their contractors, for the conduct of investigations of individuals who have been offered a position of employment whenever, in the interest of public welfare or safety and as authorized in the Transportation District Act of 1964, it is necessary to determine if the past criminal conduct of a person with a conviction record would be compatible with the nature of the employment under consideration;
8. Public or private agencies when authorized or required by federal or state law or interstate compact to investigate (i) applicants for foster or adoptive parenthood or (ii) any individual, and the adult members of that individual's household, with whom the agency is considering placing a child or from whom the agency is considering removing a child due to abuse or neglect, on an emergency, temporary, or permanent basis pursuant to §§
63.2-901.1
and
63.2-1505
, subject to the restriction that the data shall not be further disseminated to any party other than a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law;
9. To the extent permitted by federal law or regulation, public service companies as defined in §
56-1
, for the conduct of investigations of applicants for employment when such employment involves personal contact with the public or when past criminal conduct of an applicant would be incompatible with the nature of the employment under consideration;
10. The appropriate authority for purposes of granting citizenship and for purposes of international travel, including, but not limited to, issuing visas and passports;
11. A person requesting a copy of his own criminal history record information as defined in §
9.1-101
at his cost, except that criminal history record information shall be supplied at no charge to a person who has applied to be a volunteer with (i) a Virginia affiliate of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America; (ii) a volunteer fire company; (iii) the Volunteer Emergency Families for Children; (iv) any affiliate of Prevent Child Abuse, Virginia; (v) any Virginia affiliate of Compeer; or (vi) any board member or any individual who has been offered membership on the board of a Crime Stoppers, Crime Solvers or Crime Line program as defined in §
15.2-1713.1
;
12. Administrators and board presidents of and applicants for licensure or registration as a child welfare agency as defined in §
63.2-100
for dissemination to the Commissioner of Social Services' representative pursuant to §
63.2-1702
for the conduct of investigations with respect to employees of and volunteers at such facilities, caretakers, and foster and adoptive parent applicants of private child-placing agencies, pursuant to §§
63.2-1719
,
63.2-1720
, and
63.2-1721
, subject to the restriction that the data shall not be further disseminated by the facility or agency to any party other than the data subject, the Commissioner of Social Services' representative or a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law for such further dissemination; however, nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prohibit the Commissioner of Social Services' representative from issuing written certifications regarding the results of a background check that was conducted before July 1, 2021, in accordance with subsection J of §
22.1-289.035
or §
22.1-289.039
;
13. Administrators and board presidents of and applicants for licensure as a prescribed pediatric extended care center for dissemination to the State Health Commissioner's representative pursuant to §§
32.1-162.15:1
.5 and
32.1-162.15:1
.10 for the conduct of investigations with respect to employees of and volunteers at such centers, pursuant to §
32.1-162.15:1
.17, subject to the restriction that the data shall not be further disseminated by the center to any party other than the data subject, the State Health Commissioner's representative, or a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law;
14. The Department of Social Services for the purpose of screening individuals as a condition of licensure, employment, volunteering, or providing services on a regular basis in a licensed child welfare agency pursuant to §§
63.2-1721
and
63.2-1726
or foster or adoptive home approved by a child-placing agency pursuant to §
63.2-901.1
;
15. The school boards of the Commonwealth for the purpose of screening individuals who are offered or who accept public school employment and those current school board employees for whom a report of arrest has been made pursuant to §
19.2-83.1
;
16. The Virginia Lottery for the conduct of investigations as set forth in the Virginia Lottery Law (§
58.1-4000
et seq.) and casino gaming as set forth in Chapter 41 (§
58.1-4100
et seq.) of Title 58.1, and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the conduct of investigations as set forth in Article 1.1:1 (§
18.2-340.15
et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 18.2;
17. Licensed prescribed pediatric extended care centers for the conduct of investigations of applicants for compensated employment and volunteers in licensed prescribed pediatric extended care centers pursuant to §
32.1-162.15:1
.17;
18. Licensed nursing homes, hospitals and home care organizations for the conduct of investigations of applicants for compensated employment in licensed nursing homes pursuant to §
32.1-126.01
, hospital pharmacies pursuant to §
32.1-126.02
, and home care organizations pursuant to §
32.1-162.9:1
, subject to the limitations set out in subsection E;
19. Licensed assisted living facilities and licensed adult day centers for the conduct of investigations of applicants for compensated employment in licensed assisted living facilities and licensed adult day centers pursuant to §
63.2-1720
, subject to the limitations set out in subsection F;
20. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority for the conduct of investigations as set forth in §
4.1-103.1
;
21. The State Board of Elections and authorized officers and employees thereof and general registrars appointed pursuant to §
24.2-110
in the course of conducting necessary investigations with respect to voter registration, limited to any record of felony convictions;
22. The Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (the Commissioner) or his designees for individuals who are committed to the custody of or being evaluated by the Commissioner pursuant to §§
19.2-168.1
,
19.2-169.1
,
19.2-169.2
,
19.2-169.5
,
19.2-169.6
,
19.2-182.2
,
19.2-182.3
,
19.2-182.8
, and
19.2-182.9
where such information may be beneficial for the purpose of placement, evaluation, treatment, or discharge planning;
23. Any alcohol safety action program certified by the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program for (i) interventions with first offenders under §
18.2-251
or (ii) services to offenders under §
18.2-51.4
,
18.2-266
, or
18.2-266.1
;
24. Residential facilities for juveniles regulated or operated by the Department of Social Services, the Department of Education, or the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for the purpose of determining applicants' fitness for employment or for providing volunteer or contractual services;
25. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and facilities operated by the Department for the purpose of determining an individual's fitness for employment pursuant to departmental instructions;
26. Pursuant to §
22.1-296.3
, the governing boards or administrators of private elementary or secondary schools which are accredited pursuant to §
22.1-19
or a private organization coordinating such records information on behalf of such governing boards or administrators pursuant to a written agreement with the Department of State Police;
27. Public institutions of higher education and nonprofit private institutions of higher education for the purpose of screening individuals who are offered or accept employment;
28. Members of a threat assessment team established by a local school board pursuant to §
22.1-79.4
, by a public institution of higher education pursuant to §
23.1-805
, or by a private nonprofit institution of higher education, for the purpose of assessing or intervening with an individual whose behavior may present a threat to safety; however, no member of a threat assessment team shall redisclose any criminal history record information obtained pursuant to this section or otherwise use any record of an individual beyond the purpose that such disclosure was made to the threat assessment team;
29. Executive directors of community services boards or the personnel director serving the community services board for the purpose of determining an individual's fitness for employment, approval as a sponsored residential service provider, permission to enter into a shared living arrangement with a person receiving medical assistance services pursuant to a waiver, or permission for any person under contract with the community services board to serve in a direct care position on behalf of the community services board pursuant to §§
37.2-506
,
37.2-506.1
, and
37.2-607
;
30. Executive directors of behavioral health authorities as defined in §
37.2-600
for the purpose of determining an individual's fitness for employment, approval as a sponsored residential service provider, permission to enter into a shared living arrangement with a person receiving medical assistance services pursuant to a waiver, or permission for any person under contract with the behavioral health authority to serve in a direct care position on behalf of the behavioral health authority pursuant to §§
37.2-506
,
37.2-506.1
, and
37.2-607
;
31. The Commissioner of Social Services for the purpose of locating persons who owe child support or who are alleged in a pending paternity proceeding to be a putative father, provided that only the name, address, demographics and social security number of the data subject shall be released;
32. Authorized officers or directors of agencies licensed pursuant to Article 2 (§
37.2-403
et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 37.2 by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for the purpose of determining if any applicant who accepts employment in any direct care position or requests approval as a sponsored residential service provider, permission to enter into a shared living arrangement with a person receiving medical assistance services pursuant to a waiver, or permission for any person under contract with the provider to serve in a direct care position has been convicted of a crime that affects his fitness to have responsibility for the safety and well-being of individuals with mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse pursuant to §§
37.2-416
,
37.2-416.1
,
37.2-506
,
37.2-506.1
, and
37.2-607
;
33. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of evaluating applicants for and holders of a motor carrier certificate or license subject to the provisions of Chapters 20 (§
46.2-2000
et seq.) and 21 (§
46.2-2100
et seq.) of Title 46.2;
34. The Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice or the Chairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice for the purpose of determining if any person being considered for election to any judgeship has been convicted of a crime;
35. Heads of state agencies in which positions have been identified as sensitive for the purpose of determining an individual's fitness for employment in positions designated as sensitive under Department of Human Resource Management policies developed pursuant to §
2.2-1201.1
;
36. The Office of the Attorney General, for all criminal justice activities otherwise permitted under subdivision 1 and for purposes of performing duties required by the Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators Act (§
37.2-900
et seq.);
37. Shipyards, to the extent permitted by federal law or regulation, engaged in the design, construction, overhaul, or repair of nuclear vessels for the United States Navy, including their subsidiary companies, for the conduct of investigations of applications for employment or for access to facilities, by contractors, leased laborers, and other visitors;
38. Any employer of individuals whose employment requires that they enter the homes of others, for the purpose of screening individuals who apply for, are offered, or have accepted such employment;
39. Public agencies when and as required by federal or state law to investigate (i) applicants as providers of adult foster care and home-based services or (ii) any individual with whom the agency is considering placing an adult on an emergency, temporary, or permanent basis pursuant to §
63.2-1601.1
, subject to the restriction that the data shall not be further disseminated by the agency to any party other than a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law for such further dissemination, subject to limitations set out in subsection G;
40. The Department of Medical Assistance Services, or its designee, for the purpose of screening individuals who, through contracts, subcontracts, or direct employment, volunteer, apply for, are offered, or have accepted a position related to the provision of transportation services to enrollees in the Medicaid Program or the Family Access to Medical Insurance Security (FAMIS) Program, or any other program administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services;
41. The State Corporation Commission for the purpose of investigating individuals who are current or proposed members, senior officers, directors, and principals of an applicant or person licensed under Chapter 16 (§
6.2-1600
et seq.), Chapter 19.1 (§
6.2-1922
et seq.), or Chapter 26 (§
6.2-2600
et seq.) of Title 6.2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if an application is denied based in whole or in part on information obtained from the Central Criminal Records Exchange pursuant to Chapter 16, 19, or 26 of Title 6.2, the Commissioner of Financial Institutions or his designee may disclose such information to the applicant or its designee;
42. The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation for the purpose of investigating individuals for initial licensure pursuant to §
54.1-2106.1
;
43. The Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired for the purpose of evaluating an individual's fitness for various types of employment and for the purpose of delivering comprehensive vocational rehabilitation services pursuant to Article 11 (§
51.5-170
et seq.) of Chapter 14 of Title 51.5 that will assist the individual in obtaining employment;
44. Bail bondsmen, in accordance with the provisions of §
19.2-120
;
45. The State Treasurer for the purpose of determining whether a person receiving compensation for wrongful incarceration meets the conditions for continued compensation under §
8.01-195.12
;
46. The Department of Education or its agents or designees for the purpose of screening individuals seeking to enter into a contract with the Department of Education or its agents or designees for the provision of child care services for which child care subsidy payments may be provided;
47. The Department of Juvenile Justice to investigate any parent, guardian, or other adult members of a juvenile's household when completing a predispositional or postdispositional report required by §
16.1-273
or a Board of Juvenile Justice regulation promulgated pursuant to §
16.1-233
;
48. The State Corporation Commission, for the purpose of screening applicants for insurance licensure under Chapter 18 (§
38.2-1800
et seq.) of Title 38.2;
49. Administrators and board presidents of and applicants for licensure or registration as a child day program or family day system, as such terms are defined in §
22.1-289.02
, for dissemination to the Superintendent of Public Instruction's representative pursuant to §
22.1-289.013
for the conduct of investigations with respect to employees of and volunteers at such facilities pursuant to §§
22.1-289.034
through
22.1-289.037
, subject to the restriction that the data shall not be further disseminated by the facility or agency to any party other than the data subject, the Superintendent of Public Instruction's representative, or a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law for such further dissemination; however, nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prohibit the Superintendent of Public Instruction's representative from issuing written certifications regarding the results of prior background checks in accordance with subsection J of §
22.1-289.035
or §
22.1-289.039
;
50. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for the purpose of screening individuals who are offered or accept employment or will be providing volunteer or contractual services with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children;
51. The Executive Director or investigators of the Board of Accountancy for the purpose of the enforcement of laws relating to the Board of Accountancy in accordance with §
54.1-4407
; and
52. Other entities as otherwise provided by law.
Upon an ex parte motion of a defendant in a felony case and upon the showing that the records requested may be relevant to such case, the court shall enter an order requiring the Central Criminal Records Exchange to furnish the defendant, as soon as practicable, copies of any records of persons designated in the order on whom a report has been made under the provisions of this chapter.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, upon a written request sworn to before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments, the Central Criminal Records Exchange, or the criminal justice agency in cases of offenses not required to be reported to the Exchange, shall furnish a copy of conviction data covering the person named in the request to the person making the request; however, such person on whom the data is being obtained shall consent in writing, under oath, to the making of such request. A person receiving a copy of his own conviction data may utilize or further disseminate that data as he deems appropriate. In the event no conviction data is maintained on the data subject, the person making the request shall be furnished at his cost a certification to that effect.
B. Use of criminal history record information disseminated to noncriminal justice agencies under this section shall be limited to the purposes for which it was given and may not be disseminated further, except as otherwise provided in subdivision A 49.
C. No criminal justice agency or person shall confirm the existence or nonexistence of criminal history record information for employment or licensing inquiries except as provided by law.
D. Criminal justice agencies shall establish procedures to query the Central Criminal Records Exchange prior to dissemination of any criminal history record information on offenses required to be reported to the Central Criminal Records Exchange to ensure that the most up-to-date disposition data is being used. Inquiries of the Exchange shall be made prior to any dissemination except in those cases where time is of the essence and the normal response time of the Exchange would exceed the necessary time period. A criminal justice agency to whom a request has been made for the dissemination of criminal history record information that is required to be reported to the Central Criminal Records Exchange may direct the inquirer to the Central Criminal Records Exchange for such dissemination. Dissemination of information regarding offenses not required to be reported to the Exchange shall be made by the criminal justice agency maintaining the record as required by §
15.2-1722
.
E. Criminal history information provided to licensed nursing homes, hospitals and to home care organizations pursuant to subdivision A 18 shall be limited to the convictions on file with the Exchange for any offense specified in §§
32.1-126.01
,
32.1-126.02
, and
32.1-162.9:1
.
F. Criminal history information provided to licensed assisted living facilities and licensed adult day centers pursuant to subdivision A 19 shall be limited to the convictions on file with the Exchange for any offense specified in §
63.2-1720
.
G. Criminal history information provided to public agencies pursuant to subdivision A 39 shall be limited to the convictions on file with the Exchange for any offense set forth in clause (i) of the definition of barrier crime in §
19.2-392.02
.
H. Upon receipt of a written request from an employer or prospective employer, the Central Criminal Records Exchange, or the criminal justice agency in cases of offenses not required to be reported to the Exchange, shall furnish at the employer's cost a copy of conviction data covering the person named in the request to the employer or prospective employer making the request, provided that the person on whom the data is being obtained has consented in writing to the making of such request and has presented a photo-identification to the employer or prospective employer. In the event no conviction data is maintained on the person named in the request, the requesting employer or prospective employer shall be furnished at his cost a certification to that effect. The criminal history record search shall be conducted on forms provided by the Exchange.
I. The attorney for the Commonwealth shall provide a physical or electronic copy of a person's criminal history record information, including criminal history record information maintained in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the Interstate Identification Index System (III System) that is in his possession, pursuant to the rules of court for obtaining discovery or for review by the court. No criminal history record information provided under this subsection shall be disseminated further.
J. Criminal history record information obtained from a national criminal history record check conducted for employment or licensing purposes pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 41101 shall only be disseminated to a federal, state, or local government agency or entity. A state or local government agency or entity that receives any criminal history record information obtained from a national criminal history record check conducted for employment or licensing purposes pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 41101 shall not disseminate such information to any private person or entity.
§
54.1-3707.2
. Criminal background check.
The Board shall require each applicant for licensure as a baccalaureate social worker, master's social worker, or clinical social worker to submit fingerprints and provide personal descriptive information to be forwarded along with his fingerprints through the Central Criminal Records Exchange to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining criminal history record information regarding the applicant. The cost of fingerprinting and the criminal history record search shall be paid by the applicant.
The Central Criminal Records Exchange shall forward the results of the state and federal criminal history record search to the Board, which shall be a governmental entity. If an applicant is denied licensure because of information appearing on his criminal history record and the applicant disputes the information upon which the denial was based, the Central Criminal Records Exchange shall, upon written request, furnish to the applicant the procedures for obtaining a copy of the criminal history record from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Criminal Records Exchange. Such information shall not be disseminated except as provided in this section.
2. That the provisions of §
19.2-389
of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, shall become effective on July 1, 2027.
3. That the Department of State Police (the Department) shall convene a work group to review (i) federal Department of Justice concerns with the dissemination of criminal history record information obtained from national criminal history record checks for employment and licensing purposes in Virginia; (ii) whether Virginia laws relating to the dissemination of criminal history record information clearly distinguish between practices for in-state records as opposed to national records; and (iii) any consequences that may result from Virginia amending its laws to more clearly distinguish between the dissemination of in-state and national criminal history records. The work group shall include a representative of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, the Executive Director of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or his designee, the Executive Director of the Virginia State Crime Commission or his designee, the Director of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services or his designee, the Director of the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or his designee, the Superintendent of Public Instruction or his designee, a representative from the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, the Director of the Department of Health Professions or his designee, the Commissioner of the Department of Social Services or his designee, the Director of the Department of Human Resource Management or his designee, a member of the staff of the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations, a member of the staff of the House Committee on Appropriations, and any other relevant stakeholders. The Department shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by December 1, 2026.