The House Education Committee heard SB 115 on school employee misconduct sponsored by Rep. J. Young. Sen. Freeman introduced the bill. The relevant portion of the bill requires Court Technology to add certain misdemeanor convictions for public indecency to the types of felony conviction information Court Technology is already required to send to the Department of Education.
The bill was amended by consent to include a provision which allows schools to have access to criminal convictions expunged under Ind. Code § 35-38-9 to make hiring decisions for a person seeking employment (including volunteer employment) or to grant access to a contractor/applicant contractor, if that person will have contact with students.
Testimony in favor of the bill was received from a survivor of educator sexual abuse, the Indiana School Board Association, and the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents. The American Federation of Teachers opposes the bill. The ISTA is neutral on the bill.
The amended bill passed 7 – 0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2022/bills/senate/115