093_HB2247

 
                                     LRB093 08167 MKM 08373 b

 1        AN ACT concerning park districts.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 5.  The Park District Code is amended by changing
 5    Section 8-23 as follows:

 6        (70 ILCS 1205/8-23)
 7        Sec. 8-23.  Criminal background investigations.
 8        (a)  An  applicant  for  employment with a park district,
 9    age 17  years  or  older,  is  required  as  a  condition  of
10    employment  to authorize an investigation to determine if the
11    applicant  has  been  convicted  of  any  of  the  enumerated
12    criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) of  this  Section
13    or  has been convicted, within 7 years of the application for
14    employment with the park district, of any other felony  under
15    the  laws  of  this  State  or  of  any  offense committed or
16    attempted in any other state  or  against  the  laws  of  the
17    United  States that, if committed or attempted in this State,
18    would have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this
19    State.   Authorization  for  the   investigation   shall   be
20    furnished by the applicant to the park district. Upon receipt
21    of  this  authorization,  the  park district shall submit the
22    applicant's name,  sex,  race,  date  of  birth,  and  social
23    security  number  to  the Department of State Police on forms
24    prescribed by the Department of State Police.  The Department
25    of State Police shall conduct an investigation  to  ascertain
26    if  the  applicant  being  considered for employment has been
27    convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug  offenses
28    in  subsection  (c)  of  this  Section or has been convicted,
29    within 7 years of the application  for  employment  with  the
30    park  district,  of  any  other felony under the laws of this
31    State or of any offense committed or attempted in  any  other
 
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 1    state  or  against  the  laws  of  the United States that, if
 2    committed  or  attempted  in  this  State,  would  have  been
 3    punishable as a felony under the laws  of  this  State.   The
 4    Department  of  State Police shall charge the park district a
 5    fee for conducting the  investigation,  which  fee  shall  be
 6    deposited  in  the  State  Police Services Fund and shall not
 7    exceed the cost of the inquiry.  The applicant shall  not  be
 8    charged a fee by the park district for the investigation.
 9        (b)  The   Department  of  State  Police  shall  furnish,
10    pursuant to positive identification, records of  convictions,
11    until  expunged,  to the president of the park district.  Any
12    information concerning the record of convictions obtained  by
13    the   president   shall  be  confidential  and  may  only  be
14    transmitted  to  those  persons  who  are  necessary  to  the
15    decision on whether to hire the applicant for employment.   A
16    copy   of   the  record  of  convictions  obtained  from  the
17    Department of State Police shall be provided to the applicant
18    for employment.  Any person  who  releases  any  confidential
19    information   concerning   any  criminal  convictions  of  an
20    applicant for  employment  shall  be  guilty  of  a  Class  A
21    misdemeanor,  unless  the  release  of  such  information  is
22    authorized by this Section.
23        (c)  No park district shall knowingly employ a person who
24    has  been  convicted  for  committing  attempted first degree
25    murder or for committing or attempting to commit first degree
26    murder, a Class X felony, or any one or more of the following
27    offenses:  (i) those defined in Sections 11-6,  11-9,  11-14,
28    11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2,
29    11-20,  11-20.1,  11-21,  12-13,  12-14,  12-14.1, 12-15, and
30    12-16 of the Criminal Code of 1961; (ii) those defined in the
31    Cannabis Control Act, except those defined in Sections  4(a),
32    4(b),  and  5(a)  of  that  Act;  (iii)  those defined in the
33    Illinois Controlled Substances  Act;  and  (iv)  any  offense
34    committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws
 
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 1    of  the  United  States,  which, if committed or attempted in
 2    this State, would have been punishable as one or more of  the
 3    foregoing   offenses.    Further,   no  park  district  shall
 4    knowingly employ a person  who  has  been  found  to  be  the
 5    perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18
 6    years  of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the
 7    Juvenile Court Act of 1987.  No park district shall knowingly
 8    employ a person for whom a criminal background  investigation
 9    has not been initiated.
10    (Source: P.A. 91-885, eff. 7-6-00.)