| Entities | |
| Topics and Issues | Background checks (71) |
In 2018, Congress passed the Child Protection Improvements Act of 2018 (CPIA). The Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. 115–141, Div. S, Title I, Sec. 101, 132 Stat. 1123 – 1126) amended the National Child Protection Act/Volunteers for Children Act (NCPA/VCA’ (34 U.S.C. 40101 et seq.).
The CPIA established a program at the Department of Justice to provide access to criminal background checks for people seeking to work or volunteer with afterschool, mentoring, summer camp, or other programs.
In July 2023, U.S. Sen. Joel Ossoff (D-GA), said that the DOJ has failed to issue guidelines on how the program would work, as the law requires. Ossoff sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland to implement those guidelines for a national background screening process to ensure families are protected, and employers can hire the best candidates. WJCL story.
In August 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice, via the FBI, issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for the Child Protection Improvements Act Criteria for Designated Entity Determinations. 88 Fed. Reg. 58167 (Aug. 25, 2023).