An Act Requiring School Administrative Units To Adopt School Volunteer Policies
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §254, sub-§18 is enacted to read:
18. Model policy on screening and assignment of school volunteers. By July 1, 2014, the commissioner, in consultation with state and local law enforcement agencies, school boards and appropriate school personnel, shall develop model policies on the screening and assignment of school volunteers. In developing the model policies, the commissioner shall consider the following:
A. Appropriate screening procedures for volunteers based on the assignments of the volunteers;
B. The use of fingerprinting or criminal history record information or both as part of the screening process for volunteers;
C. Procedures for ensuring appropriate protection of, access to and handling of confidential information about volunteers;
D. The appropriate supervision of volunteers; and
E. Duties that may be or may not be assigned to a volunteer based on the screening or assignment of the volunteer or other relevant factors.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§20 is enacted to read:
20. Policy on screening and assignment of school volunteers. By the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, each school board shall adopt and implement policies governing the screening and assignment of school volunteers that are consistent with the model policies developed by the commissioner in accordance with section 254, subsection 18.
SUMMARY
This bill requires each school board to adopt and implement by the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year policies governing the screening and assignment of school volunteers. The policies must be consistent with model policies developed by the Commissioner of Education. The model policies must be developed no later than July 1, 2014 by the commissioner in consultation with state and local law enforcement officials, school boards and appropriate school personnel.