70 ILCS 1205/8-23
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 70 - SPECIAL DISTRICTS|70 ILCS 1205/ - Park District Code.|Article 8 - General Powers Of Park Districts

Sec. 8-23. Criminal background investigations.(a) An applicant for employment with a park district is required as  a condition of employment to authorize an investigation to determine if  the applicant has been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or (d) of this Section, or adjudicated a delinquent minor for any of the enumerated criminal or drug  offenses in subsection (c) or (d) of this Section, or has been  convicted, within 7 years of the application for employment with the  park district, of any other felony under the laws of this State or of any  offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of  the United States that, if committed or attempted in this State, would  have been punishable as a felony under the laws of this State.  Authorization  for the  investigation shall be furnished by the applicant to the park district.  Upon receipt of this authorization, the park district shall submit the  applicant's name, sex, race, date of birth, and social security number to  the Illinois State Police on forms prescribed by the Illinois State Police.  The Illinois State Police shall conduct a search of the  Illinois criminal history records database to ascertain if the applicant being considered for  employment has been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or (d) of this Section, or adjudicated a delinquent minor for committing or attempting to commit any of  the enumerated criminal or drug  offenses  in subsection (c) or (d) of this Section, or  has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years of  the application for employment with  the  park district, any other felony under the laws of this State.  The  Illinois   State Police shall charge the park district a fee for conducting the  investigation, which fee shall be deposited in the State Police Services  Fund and shall not exceed the cost of the inquiry.  The applicant shall  not be charged a fee by the park district for the investigation.(b) If the search of the Illinois criminal history record database  indicates that the applicant has been convicted of any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or (d), or adjudicated a delinquent minor for committing or attempting to  commit any of the enumerated criminal or drug offenses in subsection (c) or (d), or has  been convicted of committing or attempting to commit, within 7 years of the  application for employment with the park district, any other felony under the  laws of this State, the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau  of  Investigation shall furnish, pursuant to  a fingerprint based background check, records  of convictions or adjudications as  a delinquent minor, until expunged, to the  president of the park district.  Any information concerning the record of  convictions or adjudications as a delinquent minor obtained by the president shall be confidential and may only  be transmitted to those persons who are necessary to the decision on whether to  hire the  applicant for employment.  A copy of the record of convictions or adjudications as a delinquent minor  obtained  from the Illinois State Police shall be provided to the applicant for  employment.  Any person who releases any confidential information  concerning any criminal convictions or adjudications as a delinquent minor of an applicant for employment shall  be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor, unless the release of such  information is authorized by this Section.(c) No park district shall knowingly employ a person who has been  convicted, or adjudicated a delinquent minor, for committing attempted first degree murder or  for committing  or attempting to commit first degree murder, a Class X felony, or any  one or more of the following criminal offenses:  (i) those defined in Sections 11-1.20, 11-1.30, 11-1.40, 11-1.50, 11-1.60, 11-6,  11-9, 11-14.3, 11-14.4, 11-15, 11-15.1, 11-16, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 11-19.1, 11-19.2,  11-20, 11-20.1, 11-20.1B, 11-20.3, 11-21, 11-30 (if convicted of a Class 4 felony), 12-7.3, 12-7.4, 12-7.5, 12-13, 12-14, 12-14.1, 12-15, and 12-16 of  the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012; (ii) (blank); (iii) (blank); (iv) (blank); and (v) any offense  committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the  United States, which, if committed or attempted in this State, would have  been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses.  Further, no  park district shall knowingly employ a person who has been found to be  the perpetrator of sexual or physical abuse of any minor under 18 years  of age pursuant to proceedings under Article II of the Juvenile Court Act  of 1987.  No park district shall knowingly employ a person for whom a  criminal background investigation has not been initiated.(d) No park district shall knowingly employ a person who has been convicted of the following drug offenses, other than an offense set forth in subsection (c), until 7 years following the end of the sentence imposed for any of the following offenses: (i) those defined in the Cannabis Control Act, except those defined in Sections 4(a), 4(b), 4(c), 5(a), and 5(b) of that Act; (ii) those defined in the Illinois Controlled Substances Act; (iii) those defined in the Methamphetamine Control and Community Protection Act; and (iv) any offense committed or attempted in any other state or against the laws of the United States, which, if committed or attempted in this State, would have been punishable as one or more of the foregoing offenses. For purposes of this paragraph, "sentence" includes any period of supervision or probation that was imposed either alone or in combination with a period of incarceration.(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (c) and (d), a park district may, in its discretion, employ a person who has been granted a certificate of good conduct under Section 5-5.5-25 of the Unified Code of Corrections by the circuit court.   (Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)