Nearly a year after Governor Patrick signed “An Act Relative to Background Checks,” the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Security is nearly ready to begin the implementation of the background checks required by that legislation.
Effective September 1, 2013, new educators and other school employees in Massachusetts are required to undergo national background checks and fingerprinting; however, the state’s system to conduct these checks is not expected to be in place until late fall.
Massachusetts has joined most other states in requiring educators in public and private schools, and employees in state-licensed child-care programs, to undergo national background checks and fingerprinting.