During ongoing discussions about the education challenges we face at the local level, Dr. George Ann Rice, Associate Superintendent of the Human Resources Division for the Clark County School District, and Mitch Fox, KLVX-TV’s News and Public Affairs Manager, brought to my attention a very real and serious problem facing America’s schools.

Currently, when a school district conducts a background check on a potential employee, bureaucratic roadblocks often prevent them from utilizing some of the most important tools needed for a complete investigation.  Because of this, individuals with criminal pasts sometimes slip through the cracks and are hired for positions dealing directly with children. This is simply unacceptable, and needs to be rectified immediately.

An amendment I offered to address this problem was recently included in H.R. 3132, the “Children’s Safety Act.”  My amendment allows for fingerprint-based checks of the national crime information databases on individuals under consideration for employment in a position working with or around children.  The amendment also stipulates that when possible, the check shall include a fingerprint-based check of state criminal history databases.  Requests for these checks must come through a local or state education agency.

In a place like Southern Nevada, where we are hiring teachers at a record pace, these safeguards are especially important.  We need to ensure that teachers and support staff, many of whom are hired out-of-state, are thoroughly vetted before being entrusted with our children’s safety.

H.R. 3132 passed the House by an overwhelming margin, and it is my sincere hope that the Senate will take up this important legislation soon so we can get this law on the books.