136:1 Adoption; Assessment. Amend RSA 170-B:18, VII to read as follows:

VII. The court shall require a background check in all adoption proceedings initiated by the department or by another child placing agency. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adult living in the home.

(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective adoptive parents' fingerprints and the fingerprints of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.

(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.

136:2 Child Day Care and Child-Placing Agencies; State Registry and Criminal Records Check for Foster Family Home. Amend RSA 170-E:29, II-a to read as follows:

II-a. In the case of an initial application for a foster family home, the department shall conduct a background check of the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for the prospective foster parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home.

(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective foster parents' fingerprints and the fingerprints of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.

(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective foster parents or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.

136:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: June 16, 2017

Effective Date: June 16, 2017

136:1 Adoption; Assessment. Amend RSA 170-B:18, VII to read as follows:

VII. The court shall require a background check in all adoption proceedings initiated by the department or by another child placing agency. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for all prospective adoptive parents and any other adult living in the home.

(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective adoptive parents' fingerprints and the fingerprints of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.

(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective adoptive parent or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.

136:2 Child Day Care and Child-Placing Agencies; State Registry and Criminal Records Check for Foster Family Home. Amend RSA 170-E:29, II-a to read as follows:

II-a. In the case of an initial application for a foster family home, the department shall conduct a background check of the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home. The background check shall consist of a fingerprint-based criminal record check of national crime information databases for the prospective foster parents and any other adults living in the home, as well as a central registry check for the prospective foster parents and any other adult living in the home.

(a) For the criminal record check required under this paragraph, the department shall submit the prospective foster parents' fingerprints and the fingerprints of any other adults living in the home to the department of safety, division of state police, for forwarding to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Upon completion of the criminal record check, the division of state police shall forward the results to the department.

(b) The central registry check shall include a check of the department's central registry of founded reports of child abuse and neglect under RSA 169-C:35 and shall include a check of the child abuse and neglect registries in any other state in which the prospective foster parents or other adult living in the home has resided in the preceding 5 years. Information obtained from another state pursuant to this subparagraph shall be used only for the purposes of conducting the background checks.

136:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: June 16, 2017

Effective Date: June 16, 2017