§ 90-357.6.  Criminal history record checks of applicants for licensure.

(a) All applicants for licensure shall consent to a criminal history record check. The Board may request a criminal history record check of applicants returning to active status as a licensed dietitian/nutritionist or a licensed nutritionist. Refusal to consent to a criminal history record check may constitute grounds for the Board to deny licensure to an applicant. The Board shall ensure that the State and national criminal history of each applicant is checked. The Board shall be responsible for providing to the State Bureau of Investigation the fingerprints of the applicant to be checked, a form signed by the applicant consenting to the criminal history record check and the use of fingerprints and other identifying information required by the State or National Repositories, the fee required by the State Bureau of Investigation for providing this service, and any additional information required by the State Bureau of Investigation. The Board shall keep all information obtained pursuant to this section confidential.

(b) The cost of the criminal history record check and the fingerprinting shall be borne by the applicant. The Board shall collect any fees required by the State Bureau of Investigation and shall remit the fees to the State Bureau of Investigation for expenses associated with conducting the criminal history record check.

(c) If an applicant's criminal history record check reveals one or more convictions, the conviction shall not automatically bar issuance of a license by the Board to the applicant. The Board shall consider all of the following factors regarding the conviction:

(1) The level of seriousness of the crime.

(2) The date of the crime.

(3) The age of the person at the time of the conviction.

(4) The circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime, if known.

(5) The nexus between the criminal conduct of the person and the job duties of the position to be filled.

(6) The person's prison, jail, probation, parole, rehabilitation, and employment records since the date the crime was committed.

(7) Any subsequent commission of a crime by the applicant.

If, after reviewing the factors, the Board determines that the grounds set forth in G.S. 90-363 exist, the Board may deny licensure of the applicant. The Board may disclose to the applicant information contained in the criminal history record check that is relevant to the denial. The Board shall not provide a copy of the criminal history record check to the applicant. The applicant shall have the right to appear before the Board to appeal the Board's decision. However, an appearance before the full Board shall constitute an exhaustion of administrative remedies in accordance with Chapter 150B of the General Statutes.

(d) The Board, its officers, and employees, acting in good faith and in compliance with this section, shall be immune from civil liability for denying licensure to an applicant based on information provided in the applicant's criminal history record check. (2018-91, s. 7; 2023-134, s. 19F.4(eee).)