§ 16a-5 — Criminal background investigations

(a) An applicant for employment with the Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago Park District. Upon receipt of this authorization, the Chicago 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 record information 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 Chicago Park District, any other felony under the laws of this State. The Illinois State Police shall charge the Chicago 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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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 General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Park District. Any information concerning the record of convictions or adjudications as a delinquent minor obtained by the General Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer 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) The Chicago Park District may not 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, the Chicago Park District may not 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. The Chicago Park District may not knowingly employ a person for whom a criminal background investigation has not been initiated. (d) The Chicago Park District shall not 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 subsection (c) or (d), the Chicago 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.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)