New Screening Requirements for School Volunteers Under Florida’s SB676

The Florida Legislature recently passed Senate Bill 676 (SB676) in 2023, mandating more extensive background screening regulations for public school volunteers. In the past, Florida state law more commonly required school volunteers to undergo Level 1 background screening, which involved criminal record searches using name and social security number to conduct a basic local search for criminal activity. 

Governor Ron DeSantis approved and signed SB676 into law on June 12, 2023.  Starting March 1, 2025, Florida will begin enforcing Level 2 state-wide screening requirements for some school volunteers. Below is an overview of Senate Bill 676 regulations employers should be aware of when hiring volunteers in the state. 

“Level 2 background screening” and SB676 requirements

Senate Bill 676 expands the list of offenses that disqualify individuals from employment or affiliation with vulnerable populations with additional disqualifications to protect students. School volunteers in Florida’s public schools who will be working unsupervised with students and in other sensitive positions are required to undergo Level 2 background screening. Level 2 background screening refers to a more comprehensive criminal background check with an expanded search scope that accesses state and national criminal records through fingerprinting. 

Requirements and screening scope overview for volunteers 

• Volunteers are required to submit their fingerprints electronically through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s (FDLE) Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System (VECHS). 

• The screening will assess for additional specified disqualifying offenses such as aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and certain offenses against students by authority figures. 

• Screening now encompasses searches for sexual predator and sexual offender registries across all states where the individual has lived in the past five years. 

• Requirements apply to current volunteers in certain situations as well as prospective volunteers. 

Notably, disqualifying offenses do not only apply to final convictions resulting in prosecution. Volunteers with unresolved arrests and cases where individuals are awaiting a final disposition, including cases where defendants have entered a not guilty or no contest plea, are also disqualified. 

Compliance and state monitoring 

The Florida Department of Education, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), will monitor compliance through the Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System (VECHS) program. Schools are required to: 

• Maintain records of complete background checks. 

• Ensure that no volunteer engages in direct student contact activities without successfully completing the Level 2 screening. 

Take a closer look here for more information on the history of Senate Bill 676 and the full text of the law.  

Impact on volunteer hiring practices 

SB676 aims to increase student safety by ensuring every volunteer is adequately vetted. The bill mandates that individuals affiliated with certain qualified entities undergo Level 2 background screenings, which now include searches of sexual predator and sexual offender registries in all states where the individual has resided in the preceding five years. The cost for the Level 2 background check is currently around $97 in the state of Florida. As of February 2025, whether the fee will be covered by the school districts or passed on to the volunteers is still under discussion.  

Starting July 1, 2024, certain qualified entities are authorized to participate in the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse to help streamline volunteer screening processes. The bill also expands the agencies and entities permitted to utilize the Criminal Justice Information Program, improving the sharing and accessibility of critical information. Readers should consult their legal counsel to discuss how this may affect hiring practices and the following steps to comply with SB676 volunteer hiring requirements. 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or official predictions of future laws and regulations. Hiring professionals, HR professionals, and administrators should consult their legal counsel to ensure all actions comply with the law.