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Erased Fingerprints Stall Michigan Bill

A bill that would make it tougher for people with criminal records to work in Michigan schools may force thousands of teachers to get fingerprinted—again.

Though required for teachers and many other school employees as a condition of hiring since 1993, the fingerprints were routinely thrown out after being used to clear potential hires of having past criminal convictions.

The news that the fingerprint records were gone came as a shock to legislators pressing for the bill, and to the state teachers’ union. And it raised the question of who will pay for the refingerprinting, which costs up...