Public school volunteers.

Existing law authorizes any person, except a person required to register as a sex offender pursuant to a designated provision, to be permitted by the governing board of a school district to serve as a nonteaching volunteer aide under the immediate supervision and direction of certificated personnel of the district to perform noninstructional work that serves to assist the certificated personnel of the district in their teaching and administrative responsibilities. Existing law authorizes a school district or county office of education to request that a local law enforcement agency conduct an automated records check of a prospective nonteaching volunteer aide in order to ascertain whether the prospective nonteaching volunteer aide has been convicted of a designated sex offense. Existing law prohibits school district governing boards from employing or retaining in employment persons in public school service who have been convicted of a designated sex offense or controlled substance offense unless the conviction is reversed and the person is acquitted of the offense in a new trial, or the charges against him or her are dismissed. Existing law requires, prior to assuming a paid or volunteer position to work with pupils in a pupil activity program sponsored by a school district, that noncertificated candidates obtain an Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This bill would specify that each of these provisions applies to charter schools. The bill would also authorize a school district, county office of education, or charter school to request a local law enforcement agency to conduct an automated records check of a prospective nonteaching volunteer aide in order to ascertain whether that person has been convicted of a felony controlled substance offense that involves a minor or a violent or serious felony, as specified. The bill would additionally prohibit persons who have been convicted of violent or serious felonies, specified sex offenses, or felony controlled substance offenses, as specified, from serving as nonteaching volunteer aides, but would provide that a person would not be prohibited from serving as a nonteaching volunteer aide solely because of a conviction of a controlled substance offense that involves a minor or a violent or serious felony 5 years after the date of that conviction.