§ 143B‑969.  Criminal record checks for employees and contractors of the State Board of Elections and county directors of elections.

(a) As used in this section, the term:

(1) "Current or prospective employee" means any of the following:

a. A current or prospective permanent or temporary employee of the State Board or a current or prospective county director of elections.

b. A current or prospective contractor with the State Board.

c. An employee or agent of a current or prospective contractor with the State Board.

d. Any other individual otherwise engaged by the State Board who has or will have the capability to update, modify, or change elections systems or confidential elections or ethics data.

(2) "State Board" means the State Board of Elections.

(b) The Department of Public Safety may provide to the Executive Director of the State Board a current or prospective employee's criminal history from the State and National Repositories of Criminal Histories. The Executive Director shall provide to the Department of Public Safety, along with the request, the fingerprints of the current or prospective employee, a form signed by the current or prospective employee consenting to the criminal record check and use of fingerprints and other identifying information required by the State and National Repositories, and any additional information required by the Department of Public Safety. The fingerprints of the current or prospective employee shall be forwarded to the State Bureau of Investigation for a search of the State's criminal history record file, and the State Bureau of Investigation shall forward a set of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check.

(c) The Department of Public Safety may charge a fee to offset the cost incurred by it to conduct a criminal record check under this section. The fee shall not exceed the actual cost of locating, editing, researching, and retrieving the information.

(d) The criminal history report shall be provided to the Executive Director of the State Board, who shall keep all information obtained pursuant to this section confidential to the State Board. A criminal history report obtained as provided in this section is not a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes. (2018‑13, s. 1(a); 2018‑146, s. 6.1.)