Background Check Disclosure Bill Before Illinois Governor

Criminal background checks are vital for senior care employment. However, not all employers conduct the necessary background checks, or they are disingunuous about the background check conducted.

Illinois House Bill 2934 passed both Illinois Houses and was sent to Governor Pat Quinn on June 19. If passed, the law will require senior care and home care websites to explicitly state whether or not they conduct criminal background checks on prospective providers.

"My hope is that this measure will expose those caregivers with a criminal history and provide consumers across Illinois confidence in the services they purchase. I want to encourage everyone who knows a senior to stay involved in their lives, even while they are under the watch of a caregiver. There is no simple solution to protecting our loved ones on the Internet, but I believe this legislation is a strong step in the right direction."

The bill amends the Internet Dating Safety Act and the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. It expands the scope of the Internet Dating Safety Act to cover Internet Senior Care services, Internet Home Care services and Internet childcare services. Passage of the bill would change the short title of the Internet Dating Safety Act to the Internet Dating, Internet Child Care, Internet Senior Care, and Internet Home Care Safety Act and would be effective immediately.