CPIA to enhance child protection through swift, affordable background checks

CPIA to enhance child protection through swift, affordable background checks.

The bipartisan H.R. 4703 – the Child Protection Improvements Act (CPIA) – was introduced last week by Reps. Mike Bishop (R-MI) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to provide youth-serving organizations with swift, accurate and affordable FBI background checks for volunteers and employees working with children.

“Congress has a duty to ensure every youth-serving organization in America can afford and access the gold-standard of nationwide background checks,” Bishop said. “Anything less is unacceptable. Keeping children safe was a top priority of mine in the Michigan Senate, and I am proud to continue that work on a bipartisan basis today.”

CPIA would ensure access to FBI fingerprint searches in a timely and affordable manner to organizations nationwide serving children, the disabled and the elderly. It would also ensure that criminal record specifics are not disclosed without explicit consent from volunteers or employees and provide them with a means to correct errors in their records.

The legislation would not authorize any new spending, but would instead be supported by fees assessed for background checks. It does not require organizations to utilize FBI fingerprint background checks, but instead simply makes them available to those who wish to use them.

“Parents deserve to know that their children are in safe hands when they participate in after-school programs, sports camps, or meet with their mentors,” Schiff said. “And this is why all youth-serving organizations must be equipped with access to the FBI fingerprint-based background check system to thoroughly screen prospective employees and volunteers that will work with kids. The results of a multi-year pilot program provides striking evidence that our legislation would be effective in catching child predators who attempt to avoid detection by moving from state to state.”

Numerous national organizations have voiced their support for CPIA, including Girl Scouts of the USA, the National 4-H Council, YMCA of the USA and the National PTA.