Public Schools and Youth Services - Crisis Support and Assistance and Workgroup Study

SB 770 requires child care centers, schools, and youth-serving organizations (like after-school programs and sports leagues) to verify applicants for roles involving direct contact with minors. It mandates applicants to provide contact information for recent employers (including those where they worked with minors), obtain written consent to release records about past investigations, and disclose any history of boundary-violating behavior (such as inappropriate physical contact or emotional manipulation) unless the investigation was deemed unfounded. County boards of education must annually report this data to the State Department of Education, which will compile and submit an annual report to the General Assembly. The bill aims to strengthen background checks for positions with vulnerable youth, directly affecting hiring practices for over 1,000 Maryland organizations and their applicants.