East Hudson Valley News

Assemblyman Beephan has introduced legislation to mandate background checks for youth service providers. This initiative follows the arrest of a martial arts instructor on child sex charges. Beephan expressed concern, stating, “First and foremost, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who have been affected by this horrific situation.” He emphasized that parents should not worry about their children's safety in instructional programs or extracurricular activities.

The proposed bill is titled “An Act to Amend the General Business Law, in Relation to Requiring Mandatory Background Checks for Persons Employed by Certain Businesses Serving Minors and Prohibiting Certain Persons from Owning Such Businesses.” It aims to enhance child safety by establishing uniform regulations across various youth service providers such as martial arts academies, dance studios, sports training facilities, music and performing arts schools, and tutoring centers.

Under the new legislation, all employees, volunteers, independent contractors, and business operators at youth service providers must undergo comprehensive background checks before employment or ownership. These checks will be repeated every three years. The screenings will look for serious criminal offenses including sex offenses, violent crimes, and offenses against children. Individuals failing these checks will be disqualified from employment or ownership immediately.

Currently, New York law does not require background checks for employees at many private businesses serving children. While schools and daycare centers have strict vetting processes in place, other youth service providers remain largely unregulated. Assemblyman Beephan’s bill seeks to address this gap and provide peace of mind to parents by ensuring only qualified individuals work with children in extracurricular settings.

Beephan stated further: “This is a straightforward measure to protect our children and prevent known predators from exploiting these gaps in the law.” He urged his legislative colleagues to support swift action on the bill to prioritize the safety of New York’s children.