S.1528 - Comprehensive Health and Integrity in Licensing and Documentation Act of 2025; CHILD Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
S.1528, the CHILD Act of 2025, aims to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993. The amendment focuses on expanding background check requirements for individuals working with vulnerable populations. This includes contractors and those licensed or certified by organizations that provide care to these populations.
The bill seeks to ensure that businesses and organizations can request background checks for a broader range of individuals. This expansion includes those who contract with or are licensed/certified by qualified entities.
Sponsored by Senators Durbin and Grassley, the bill was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Expected Effects
The primary effect of this bill would be to broaden the scope of background checks for individuals working with vulnerable populations. This would likely lead to increased scrutiny of contractors and licensed/certified individuals.
Organizations working with vulnerable populations would have a greater ability to conduct thorough background checks. This could potentially reduce the risk of harm to these populations.
The bill may also create additional administrative burdens for organizations required to conduct these expanded background checks.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced protection for vulnerable populations through more comprehensive background checks.
- Reduced risk of hiring or licensing individuals with a history of abuse or neglect.
- Increased accountability for organizations working with vulnerable populations.
- Potential for improved public trust in care providers and organizations.
- May deter potential offenders from seeking positions involving vulnerable populations.
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased costs for organizations to conduct expanded background checks.
- Potential delays in hiring or licensing processes due to background check requirements.
- Possible privacy concerns related to the collection and use of background check information.
- Risk of false positives or inaccurate information in background checks, leading to unfair denial of employment or licensing.
- May create additional administrative burdens for organizations.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the Constitution's broad goals of promoting the general welfare and ensuring domestic tranquility, as stated in the Preamble. By aiming to protect vulnerable populations through expanded background checks, the bill seeks to create a safer environment for these individuals.
However, the expansion of background checks could raise concerns related to individual privacy and due process, potentially implicating the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. The government's interest in protecting vulnerable populations must be balanced against individuals' rights to privacy and fair treatment under the law.
Further analysis would be needed to determine whether the specific provisions of the bill adequately address these constitutional concerns and provide sufficient safeguards to protect individual rights.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).