SB24-SSA1,22,221 48.715 (2) (bm) That a person who employs in any capacity, whether as an
22officer, director, agent or employe, a person to whom any of the following applies, or
23who permits to be an adult resident, as defined in s. 48.22 (7m) (a), 48.60 (1m) (a),
2448.625 (1m) (a), 48.65 (1m) (a) or 48.68 (1m) (a), a person to whom any of the following

1applies, terminate the employment or residence of that person immediately on
2receipt of the order:
SB24-SSA1,22,53 1. The person has been convicted of a violation of ch. 161 that is punishable as
4a felony or of a violation of the law of any other state or federal law that would be a
5violation of ch. 161 that is punishable as a felony if committed in this state.
SB24-SSA1,22,106 2. The person has had imposed on him or her a penalty specified in s. 939.62,
7939.621, 939.63, 939.64, 939.641 or 939.645 or has been convicted of a violation of the
8law of any other state or federal law under circumstances under which the person
9would be subject to a penalty specified in any of those sections if convicted in this
10state.
SB24-SSA1,22,1911 3. The person has been convicted of a violation of ch. 940, 944 or 948, other than
12a violation of s. 940.291, 940.34, 944.36, 948.45, 948.63 or 948.70, or of a violation of
13the law of any other state or federal law that would be a violation of ch. 940, 944 or
14948, other than a violation of s. 940.291, 940.34, 944.36, 948.45, 948.63 or 948.70, if
15committed in this state, except that the person may not be required to terminate the
16employment or residence of a person who has been convicted of a violation of s.
17944.30, 944.31 or 944.33 or of a violation of the law of any other state or federal law
18that would be a violation of s. 944.30, 944.31 or 944.33 if committed in this state, if
19that violation occurred 20 years or more before the date of the investigation.
SB24-SSA1, s. 12 20Section 12. 48.75 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB24-SSA1,23,921 48.75 (1) Child welfare agencies, if licensed to do so by the department, and
22county departments may license foster homes and treatment foster homes . After
23receipt of an application for a license, the child welfare agency or county department
24shall investigate to determine if the applicant meets the minimum requirements for
25a license
under the rules promulgated by the department under s. 48.67 governing

1the licensing of foster homes and treatment foster homes. The investigation shall
2include a background investigation as provided in sub. (1m).
A foster home or
3treatment foster home license shall be issued for a term not to exceed 2 years from
4the date of issuance, is not transferable and may be revoked by the child welfare
5agency or by the county department because the licensee has substantially and
6intentionally violated any provision of this chapter or of the rules of the department
7promulgated pursuant to s. 48.67 or because the licensee fails to meet the minimum
8requirements for a license. The licensee shall be given written notice of any
9revocation and the grounds therefor.
SB24-SSA1, s. 13 10Section 13. 48.75 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB24-SSA1,23,1611 48.75 (1m) (a) In this subsection, "adult resident" means a person 18 years of
12age or over who lives at a foster home or treatment foster home that is licensed by
13a child welfare agency or county department with the intent of making the foster
14home or treatment foster home his or her home or who lives for more than 30 days
15cumulative in any 6-month period at a foster home or treatment foster home that is
16licensed by a child welfare agency or county department.
SB24-SSA1,23,2017 (b) 1. After receipt of an application for a license to operate a foster home or
18treatment foster home, the child welfare agency or county department, with the
19assistance of the department of justice, shall conduct a background investigation of
20the applicant.
SB24-SSA1,24,321 2. The child welfare agency or county department, with the assistance of the
22department of justice, shall conduct a background investigation of any person who,
23on the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], is licensed by the
24child welfare agency or county department to operate a foster home or treatment
25foster home or who, on the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date],

1has an application for a license pending with the child welfare agency or county
2department within 6 months after the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor
3inserts date], or on renewing the license of that person, whichever is earlier.
SB24-SSA1,24,94 3. Subject to subd. 2., the child welfare agency or county department, with the
5assistance of the department of justice, may conduct a background investigation of
6any person who is licensed by the child welfare agency or county department to
7operate a foster home or treatment foster home at the time of license renewal or at
8any other time that the child welfare agency or county department considers to be
9appropriate.
SB24-SSA1,24,1410 (c) 1. After receipt of an application for a license to operate a foster home or
11treatment foster home, the child welfare agency or county department, with the
12assistance of the department of justice, shall, in addition to the investigation under
13par. (b), conduct a background investigation of each employe and prospective
14employe of the applicant and of each adult resident.
SB24-SSA1,24,2215 2. The child welfare agency or county department, with the assistance of the
16department of justice, shall conduct a background investigation of each employe,
17prospective employe and adult resident of any foster home or treatment foster home
18that, on the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts date], is licensed
19under this section or that, on the effective date of this subdivision .... [revisor inserts
20date], has an application for a license pending with the child welfare agency or county
21department within 6 months after that date or on renewing the license, whichever
22is earlier.
SB24-SSA1,25,323 3. Subject to subd. 2., the child welfare agency or county department, with the
24assistance of the department of justice, may conduct a background investigation of
25any employe, prospective employe or adult resident of a foster home or treatment

1foster home that is licensed by the child welfare agency or county department at the
2time of license renewal or at any other time that the child welfare agency or county
3department considers to be appropriate.
SB24-SSA1,25,94 4. Before a foster home or treatment foster home that is licensed by the child
5welfare agency or county department may employ any person or permit any person
6to be an adult resident, the child welfare agency or county department, with the
7assistance of the department of justice, shall conduct a background investigation of
8the prospective employe or prospective adult resident unless that person has already
9been investigated under subd. 1., 2. or 3.
SB24-SSA1,25,1910 (d) If the person being investigated under par. (b) or (c) is a nonresident, or at
11any time within the 5 years preceding the date of the application has been a
12nonresident, or if the child welfare agency or county department determines that the
13person's employment, licensing or state court records provide a reasonable basis for
14further investigation, the child welfare agency or county department shall require
15the person to be photographed and fingerprinted on 2 fingerprint cards, each bearing
16a complete set of the person's fingerprints. The department of justice may provide
17for the submission of the fingerprint cards to the federal bureau of investigation for
18the purposes of verifying the identity of the person fingerprinted and obtaining
19records of his or her criminal arrest and conviction.
SB24-SSA1,25,2120 (e) Upon request, a person being investigated under par. (b) or (c) shall provide
21the child welfare agency or county department with all of the following information:
SB24-SSA1,25,2222 1. The person's name.
SB24-SSA1,25,2323 2. The person's social security number.
SB24-SSA1,25,2524 3. Other identifying information, including the person's birthdate, gender, race
25and any identifying physical characteristics.
SB24-SSA1,26,4
14. Information regarding the conviction record of the person under the law of
2this state or any other state or under federal law. This information shall be provided
3on a notarized background verification form that the department shall provide by
4rule promulgated under s. 48.67.
SB24-SSA1,26,135 (f) 1. The child welfare agency or county department may not issue a license
6to operate a foster home or treatment foster home until the child welfare agency or
7county department receives information from the department of justice indicating
8that the conviction record of the applicant or licensee under the law of this state is
9satisfactory according to the criteria specified in par (g). 1. to 3. The department may
10issue a license to operate a foster home or treatment foster home conditioned on the
11receipt of information from the federal bureau of investigation indicating that the
12person's conviction record under the law of any other state or under federal law is
13satisfactory according to the criteria specified in par (g). 1. to 3.
SB24-SSA1,26,2414 2. A foster home or treatment foster home that is licensed by a child welfare
15agency or county department may not employ a person or permit a person to be an
16adult resident until the child welfare agency or county department receives
17information from the department of justice indicating that the person's conviction
18record under the law of this state is satisfactory according to the criteria specified in
19par. (g) 1. to 3. and the child welfare agency or county department so advises the
20foster home or treatment foster home. A foster home or treatment foster home may
21employ a person or permit a person to be an adult resident conditioned on the receipt
22of information from the federal bureau of investigation indicating that the person's
23conviction record under the law of any other state or under federal law is satisfactory
24according to the criteria specified in par. (g) 1. to 3.
SB24-SSA1,27,5
1(g) Subject to par. (h), the child welfare agency or county department may not
2issue or renew a license to operate a foster home or treatment foster home and a foster
3home or treatment foster home that is licensed by a child welfare agency or county
4department may not employ a person or permit a person to be an adult resident if any
5of the following applies:
SB24-SSA1,27,96 1. The applicant, licensee or other person has been convicted of a violation of
7ch. 161 that is punishable as a felony or of a violation of the law of any other state
8or federal law that would be a violation of ch. 161 that is punishable as a felony if
9committed in this state.
SB24-SSA1,27,1410 2. The applicant, licensee or other person has had imposed on him or her a
11penalty specified in s. 939.62, 939.621, 939.63, 939.64, 939.641 or 939.645 or has
12been convicted of a violation of the law of any other state or federal law under
13circumstances under which the applicant, licensee or other person would be subject
14to a penalty specified in any of those sections if convicted in this state.
SB24-SSA1,27,2515 3. The applicant, licensee or other person has been convicted of a violation of
16ch. 940, 944 or 948, other than a violation of s. 940.291, 940.34, 944.36, 948.45, 948.63
17or 948.70, or of a violation of the law of any other state or federal law that would be
18a violation of ch. 940, 944 or 948, other than a violation of s. 940.291, 940.34, 944.36,
19948.45, 948.63 or 948.70, if committed in this state, except that the child welfare
20agency or county department may issue a license to or renew the license of, and a
21foster home or treatment foster home may employ or permit to be an adult resident
22a person who has been convicted of a violation of s. 944.30, 944.31 or 944.33 or of a
23violation of the law of any other state or federal law that would be a violation of s.
24944.30, 944.31 or 944.33 if committed in this state, if that violation occurred 20 years
25or more before the date of the investigation.
SB24-SSA1,28,9
1(h) Notwithstanding par. (g), a person whose application to a child welfare
2agency or county department for initial licensure to operate a foster home or
3treatment foster home or renewal of a license to operate a foster home or treatment
4foster home has been denied on one of the grounds specified in par. (g) 1. to 3. may
5petition the department for a review of that denial under s. 48.64 (4) (a). If the
6department determines that issuing or renewing the license would be in the best
7interests of a child, the department shall order that the license be issued or renewed.
8The department shall promulgate rules to provide standards under which to review
9a petition under this paragraph.
SB24-SSA1,28,1710 (i) The child welfare agency or county department shall keep confidential all
11information received under this subsection from the department of justice or the
12federal bureau of investigation, except that the child welfare agency may disclose
13any information obtained under this subsection to any other child welfare agency or
14county department conducting an investigation under this subsection or to any
15person conducting an investigation under s. 48.22 (7m), 48.60 (1m), 48.625 (1m),
1648.65 (1m), 48.68 (1m) or 118.19 (10). Such information is not subject to inspection
17or copying under s. 19.35.
SB24-SSA1,28,2018 (j) The child welfare agency or county department may charge a fee for
19conducting a background investigation under this subsection. The fee may not
20exceed the reasonable cost of conducting the investigation.
SB24-SSA1, s. 14 21Section 14. Initial applicability; health and social services.
SB24-SSA1,29,2 22(1)  Criminal background investigations. The treatment of sections 48.22 (7)
23(a) and (7m), 48.60 (1) and (1m), 48.625 (1) and (1m), 48.65 (1) and (1m), 48.68 (1) and
24(1m) and 48.75 (1) and (1m) of the statutes first applies to applications to operate a

1child welfare agency, group home, shelter care facility, day care center, foster home
2or treatment foster home received on the effective date of this subsection.
SB24-SSA1,29,5 3(2) Sanctions and penalties. The treatment of section 48.715 (2) (bm) of the
4statutes first applies to proceedings under section 48.715 of the statutes, as affected
5by this act, commenced on the effective date of this subsection.
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