Vermont § 1695a - Pre-application criminal background determination; uniform process for foreign credential verification

§ 1695a. Pre-application criminal background determination; uniform process for foreign credential verification

• (a) Pre-application criminal background determination. An individual may request a pre-application determination of the individual’s criminal
  background. The pre-application determination shall adhere to the process set forth
  in section 254 of this title. Results of a pre-application determination shall not be binding on the Secretary
  in a future application. (1) The individual’s request for a pre-application determination shall include documentation
  related to criminal conviction or substantiation, evidence of rehabilitation or mitigation,
  and identification of which license and any endorsement the individual will seek. (2) The individual shall submit this request on a form provided by the Secretary, accompanied
  by the pre-application criminal background determination fee set forth in section
  1697 of this chapter. If the individual thereafter applies for licensure, this pre-application
  fee shall be deducted from that license application fee. (3) The Secretary shall: (A) process a request within 30 days of receiving a complete request; (B) assess the nature of any underlying convictions and substantiations, the nexus to
  the license and endorsement sought, and the provided evidence of rehabilitation or
  mitigation; and (C) respond to the individual’s request in writing, stating whether the individual may
  seek licensure. (b) Uniform process for foreign credential verification. (1) The Standards Board shall adopt rules in consultation with the Secretary that prescribe
  a process for the Secretary to assess the equivalence of an applicant’s professional
  credentials earned outside the United States as compared to State licensing requirements
  for professional educators. (2) Any determination of equivalence by the Secretary under this subsection (b) shall
  be in consultation with the Standards Board, recorded in the applicant’s licensing
  file, and binding upon the Secretary. (3) In administering this subsection, the Secretary may rely upon third-party credential
  verification services. The cost of such services shall be paid by the applicant. (4) The provisions relating to preliminary license denials set forth in subsection 1704(a)
  of this chapter shall apply to a license application that is preliminarily denied
  for nonequivalence under this subsection. (Added 2019, No. 152 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. April 1, 2021.)