2005 Senate Bill 601 / Public Act 138

“School Safety” package

Introduced in the Senate

June 16, 2005

Introduced by Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom (R-34)

To require all schools to perform criminal background checks on all employees, and prohibit persons convicted of certain sex offenses or other serious felonies from being allowed to work in schools.

Referred to the Committee on Education

Which amended it to also reguire background checks on employees hired before 1995.

June 28, 2005

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (S-2) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

June 29, 2005

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that requires background checks on all existing emloyees, not just new ones.

The substitute passed by voice vote

June 30, 2005

Passed in the Senate 35 to 0 (details)

To require all schools to perform criminal background checks on all current and prosepctive employees, and prohibit persons convicted of certain sex offenses or other serious felonies from being allowed to work in schools.

Received in the House

June 30, 2005

Referred to the Committee on Education

Aug. 24, 2005

Reported without amendment

With the recommendation that the substitute (H-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.

Aug. 31, 2005

Substitute offered

To replace the previous version of the bill with one that revises details but does not change the substance of the legislative package as previously described. Some of the bill's previous provisions have been placed in other bills in the package, notably House Bill 4928.

The substitute passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Brian Palmer (R-36)

To strike out a duplicative provision.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Amendment offered by Rep. Barb Vander Veen (R-89)

To allow a school superintendant to exempt an individual from the employment ban proposed by the bill in specified cases such as those where the "sex crime" that appears on the person's record involved consensual activity by the person when he or she was a minor.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the House 107 to 0 (details)

To require all schools to perform criminal background checks on all prosepctive employees, and prohibit persons convicted of certain sex offenses or other serious felonies from being allowed to work in schools. House Bill 4928 as passed by the Senate applies similar background check provisions to current employees.

Received in the Senate

Sept. 6, 2005

Sept. 13, 2005

Amendment offered by Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom (R-34)

To remove the amendment added by the House to allow a school superintendant to exempt an individual from the employment ban proposed by the bill in specified cases such as those where the "sex crime" that appears on the person's record involved consensual activity by the person when he or she was a minor.

The amendment passed by voice vote

Passed in the Senate 37 to 0 (details)

To concur with the House-passed version of the bill, except with a.

Received in the House

Sept. 13, 2005

To concur with the Senate-passed version of the bill, but only after removing the provision added by the VanderVeen amendment.

Passed in the House 107 to 0 (details)

Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm

Sept. 28, 2005