Section 7-3-42 - Felony convictions; criminal background checks(a) The department shall not issue a license and may revoke a license if it finds that the applicant or licensee or any director, trustee, owner, executive officer, or covered employee of the applicant or licensee has been convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction or of a crime which, if committed within this state, would constitute a felony under the laws of this state. For the purposes of this article, a person shall be deemed to have been convicted of a crime if such person shall have pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a charge thereof before a court or federal magistrate or shall have been found guilty thereof by the decision or judgment of a court or federal magistrate or by the verdict of a jury, irrespective of the pronouncement of sentence or the suspension thereof and regardless of whether first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was entered or an adjudication or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on that charge, unless and until such plea of guilty or nolo contendere or such decision, judgment, or verdict shall have been set aside, reversed, or otherwise abrogated by lawful judicial process or until probation, sentence, or both probation and sentence of a first offender without adjudication of guilt have been successfully completed and documented or unless the person convicted of the crime shall have received a pardon therefor from the President of the United States or the governor or other pardoning authority in the jurisdiction where the conviction occurred.(b) The department shall be authorized to obtain criminal history record checks with respect to any applicant or licensee, any owner of the applicant or licensee, and any individual who is a director, trustee, executive officer, or covered employee of the applicant or licensee. Such criminal history record checks may be requested by the department through the Georgia Crime Information Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the department shall have the authority to receive the results of such checks. In connection with an application under this article, the department may use the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry as a channeling agent for the submission of fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and any governmental agency or entity authorized to receive such information for a state, national, and international criminal history background check and the receipt of such checks by the department. Fees required for a criminal history record check by the Georgia Crime Information Center or the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be paid by the applicant or licensee.(c) Upon receipt of fingerprints, fees, and other required information, the Georgia Crime Information Center shall promptly transmit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a search of bureau records and an appropriate report and shall conduct a search of its own records and records to which it has access. The Georgia Crime Information Center shall notify the department in writing of any finding or if there are no such findings.(d) All criminal history record checks received by the department shall be used by the department for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the responsibilities of this article, shall not be a public record, shall be confidential and privileged, and shall not be disclosed to any other person or agency except to any person or agency which otherwise has a legal right to inspect such records. All such records received by the department shall be maintained in conformity with the requirements of the Georgia Crime Information Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as applicable.(e) Every applicant and licensee shall be authorized and required to obtain and maintain the results of criminal history record checks on covered employees. Such criminal background checks shall be commercial background checks. Applicants and licensees shall be responsible for any applicable fees charged by the company performing the criminal background checks. An applicant or licensee may only employ an individual whose criminal history has been checked and has been found to be in compliance with all lawful requirements prior to the initial date of hire. This provision shall not apply to directors, owners, or executive officers of applicants or licensees, whose backgrounds shall have been investigated through the department before taking office, beginning employment, or securing ownership. The department shall be entitled to review the files of any applicant or licensee to determine whether the required commercial background checks have been conducted and whether all covered employees are qualified. Notwithstanding the requirement that applicants and licensees conduct such commercial background checks, the department shall retain the right to obtain conviction data on covered employees of applicants and licensees pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section.(f) Upon request by the department, an applicant or licensee shall take all steps necessary to have an international criminal history record check performed on any directors, owners, executive officers, and covered employees of applicants and licensees. The results of such international criminal history record check shall be provided to the department.Amended by 2023 Ga. Laws 348,§ 47, eff. 7/1/2023.Added by 2020 Ga. Laws 409,§ 2, eff. 6/30/2020.