Bill Would Offer More Access to Crime Data

Public, private schools could find it easier to do FBI checks on applicants.

Educators in every state soon may have an extra source for identifying sex offenders and other criminals who apply to work as teachers and other school staff members, or who volunteer to work with children in public and private schools.

The House of Representatives on March 8 approved by a voice vote a broad public-safety bill that would, among other provisions, allow school administrators in any state to check the backgrounds of job candidates against the national criminal database maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Currently, school officials in at least 21 states do not have access to the national database because their states do not participate in a special compact that allows the sharing of criminal records for nonjudicial purposes. Some states, such as California, have declined to join the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact because of...