| This bill provides that, beginning with the 2003-2004 school |
| year, only newly hired school employees will be subject to the |
| fingerprinting and criminal history record check requirements. |
| The bill also provides that former school employees who left a |
| school administrative unit in the State due to a sincerely |
| held philosophical belief against the fingerprinting and |
| criminal history record check requirement, and who |
| subsequently return to school employment, will be exempted |
| from the criminal history record check requirement for newly |
| hired school employees. The bill also authorizes the Maine |
| State Police and the Commissioner of Education to release |
| certain general information relating to the fingerprinting and |
| criminal history record checks of educational personnel. |
