Commentary: The Team Chaplain Must Be Fingerprinted

By Howard Houchin
http://houchen2010.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/the-team-chaplain-must-be-fingerprinted-hb3076/  

WOW!  My apologies to all but I let a DOOZIE slip by!  There are “bad bills”, “really bad bills”, “well intended bills with bad or misguided language”, and then there are ‘DOOZIE’S”.  These are the ones that sound very benign, benevolent even, yet the unforeseen (unspoken) consequences can be devastating.  HB3076 is a DOOZIE!

HB3076, authored  by Rep. Joe Dorman, passed the Oklahoma Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety on 12 Feb., 2012 on a unanimous 9 – 0 vote.  HB3076 begins with:

“An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2011, Section 5-142, which relates to criminal history record checks; defining term; requiring board of education to request national criminal history check for any prospective volunteer; requiring school district to pay search fee; prohibiting future checks after prospective volunteer passes a check unless break in service occurs; and providing an effective date.”

Not too bad on the surface until you read, and then REALLY think about, the language.  HB3076 is an amendatory bill that adds “Prospective Volunteer” to the list of individuals that a school board SHALL (meaning: MUST) request, from the Oklahoma State Board of Education (utilizing the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation — OSBI) a “National Criminal History Check”.  According to HB3076 a  “Prospective volunteer includes a parent, guardian, or any individual who intends to volunteer in a capacity that gives him or her direct contact with students.”

Any of you folks ever ‘”volunteered” for a school event where you had “direct contact with students”?  I’d be willing to bet most of you have.  As a matter of fact, I know of many school districts where family, friend, and community “volunteers” make up the bulk of support for school events and the “volunteers” have “direct contact with students” at some point during the school event.

Okay…get ready to be fingerprinted.  Why?  Because that is one very important feature of a “National Criminal History Check”.  To “volunteer” you get to allow OSBI to come and fingerprint you and collect other personal information…YEEEHAAAWWWW, you’re on your way to being a “volunteer”!!!!  Oh…did I mention that there is money involved as well?  Yes!  The school district or “a support organization associated with the school district gets to pay for the “National Criminal History Check” not to exceed US$50.00!!!  (OMG! I can hardly wait…I’m amost a “volunteer”!)

In my little ole hometown of Hugo, Oklahoma U.S. of A., I’d willing to estimate that some 250 (very conservative estimate) would fall into the legal definition of “volunteer” under HB3076.  Now, I’m not saying that 250 good folks would go through this INSANE proposal…but lets say 100 of us diehard “volunteer” (in little ole Hugo) decided that our “volunteerness” was worth anything for our kids and our town.  That is just a mere US$5,000.00 (as long as we don’t take a year off from “volunteering”).

The HHS Football Buffaloes Team Chaplain would get to be fingerprinted!  All those great gals that help with the cheerleaders will get to be fingerprinted!  The “volunteer” folks that work the concession stands get to be fingerprinted!  Those parents that “volunteer” to ride on those real comfortable big-yellow school buses get to be fingerprinted!  The Mom’s, Dad’s, Aunt’s, and Grandparent’s that “volunteer” their time and resources to upgrade and/or clean facilities…YEP, they get to be fingerprinted!

Here’s a link to HB3076 — just click around and look at who voted FOR it in committee and then call you Oklahoma State Representative: http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB3076#

I’m done…Kill This Bill!!!