North Dakota Administrative Code
Title 75 - Department of Human Services
Article 75-03 - Community Services
Chapter 75-03-41 - Supervised Independent Living
Section 75-03-41-18 - Background checks and criminal conviction - Effect on operation of agency or employment by agency

1. The department requires an initial fingerprint-based criminal background check for each employee or nonemployee with direct contact with clients. Subsequent fingerprint-based background checks are not required for an employee who maintains continuous employment at the supervised independent living program unless the program or the department determines a need exists to conduct a subsequent investigation. Subsequent fingerprint-based background checks for nonemployees are not required unless the program or department determines a need exists to conduct a subsequent investigation.

2. The department requires a child abuse and neglect index check as part of the initial fingerprint-based background check. An annual child abuse and neglect index check must be completed and placed in the personnel file.

3. An agency may not employ an employee or place a nonemployee, in any capacity that involves or permits contact between an employee or nonemployee and any client provided supervised independent living programming by the agency, an individual who is known to have been found guilty of, pled guilty to, or pled no contest to:

4. The department has determined the offenses enumerated in subdivisions a and b of subsection 3 have a direct bearing on the individual's ability to serve the public in a capacity involving the provision of supervised independent living programs and services.

5. In the case of offenses described in North Dakota Century Code section 12.1-17-01, simple assault; 12.1-17-03, reckless endangerment; 12.1-17-06, criminal coercion; 12.1-17-07, harassment; or 12.1-17-07.1, stalking; 12.1-22-01, robbery, if a class C felony; or 12.1-31-07.1, exploitation of an eligible adult - penalty, if a class B or C felony or a lass A misdemeanor; or chapter 19-03.1, Uniform Controlled Substance Act, if a class A, B, or C, felony; or equivalent conduct in another jurisdiction which requires proof of substantially similar elements as required for conviction, the department may determine the individual has been sufficiently rehabilitated if five years have elapsed after final discharge or release from any term of probation, parole, or other form of community corrections or imprisonment for all other criminal convictions. The department may not be compelled to make such determination.

6. The department may discontinue processing a request for a criminal background check for any individual who provides false or misleading information about the individual's criminal history.

7. An individual is known to have been found guilty of, pled guilty to, or pled no contest to an offense when it is:

8. The department may request a fingerprint-based criminal background check whenever an employee or nonemployee of the agency is known to have been involved in, charged with, or convicted of an offense.

9. The department may review fingerprint-based criminal background check results as follows:

10. The supervised independent living program shall make an offer of employment to an employee conditioned upon the individual's consent to complete a required background check. While awaiting the results of the required background check, the supervised independent living program may choose to provide training and orientation to an employee. However, until the completed and approved required background check results are placed in the employee file, the employee is limited to supervised interaction with clients.

11. The department may excuse an employee or nonemployee from providing fingerprints if usable prints have not been obtained after two sets of prints have been submitted and rejected. If an employee or nonemployee is excused from providing fingerprints, the department may conduct a nationwide name-based criminal history record investigation in any state in which the employee or nonemployee lived during the eleven years preceding the signed authorization for the background check.

12. An agency shall establish written policies and engage in practices that conform to those policies, to effectively implement this section, North Dakota Century Code section 50-11-06.8, and subsection 4 of North Dakota Century Code section 50-11-07.

13. An agency shall establish written policies specific to how the agency shall proceed if a current employee or nonemployee is known to have been found guilty of, pled guilty to, or pled no contest to an offense.