PA Act 153 Clearance
What is a PA Act 153 Clearance?
The Pennsylvania Act 153 Clearance is one of the latest background check solutions for Pennsylvania organizations. The State of Pennsylvania has taken a huge step in keeping children safe by passing the PA Act 153 of 2014. This law helps to ensure that any adults who come in contact with children, either paid employees or unpaid volunteers, complete a comprehensive, and regularly updated, child abuse and criminal background check.
There are three background checks that must be performed in order to receive a PA Act 153 Clearance:
- Criminal History Record from the PA State Police (PATCH) system.
- Child Abuse Clearance obtained through the Department of Public Welfare
- FBI Fingerprint screening (this does not include volunteers with a ten-year consistent PA residence)
How often do clearances need to be renewed?
PA Act 153 clearances must be renewed every 60 months.
When does this program start?
Act 153 took effect for employees working with children on December 31, 2014. Prospective volunteers are required to obtain PA Act 153 Clearance beginning December 31, 2015.
PA Act 153 Screening Solution
Rest assured that Justifacts has the knowledge and experience to help your organization. We are ready and available to help your organization manage all aspects becoming or remaining compliant with PA Act 153. We offer many solutions, including:
- Act 153 search package which contains your employee/volunteer’s PATCH report, Child Abuse Clearance and FBI Fingerprint check in one easy-to-read report
- Provide your employees/volunteers with a user-friendly instruction guide to navigating through the PA Child Abuse Portal
- FBI fingerprint scheduling and onsite fingerprint services
- Ongoing compliance reminders to schedule clearances as needed every 60 months
The Pennsylvania Act 153 law was established to protect our children and it is certainly worth the effort to make this program both compliant and successful.