HRS § 421I-12 - Employees of cooperative housing corporations; background checks

The board of directors of a cooperative housing corporation, or the manager of a cooperative housing project, upon the written authorization of an applicant for employment as a security guard or manager or for a position that would allow the employee access to the keys of or entry into the units in the project or access to corporation funds, may conduct a background check on the applicant, or direct another responsible party to conduct the check. Before initiating or requesting a check, the board of directors or the manager shall first certify that the signature on the authorization is authentic and that the person is an applicant for employment. The background check, at a minimum, shall require the applicant to disclose whether: (1) The applicant has been convicted in any jurisdiction of a crime that would tend to indicate the applicant is unsuited for employment as an employee with access to corporation funds or the keys of or entry to the units in the project; and (2) The judgment of conviction has not been vacated. For purposes of this section, the criminal history disclosure made by the applicant may be verified by the board of directors, manager, or other responsible party, if so directed by the board or the manager, by means of information obtained through the Hawaii criminal justice data center. The board or manager may conduct a criminal history record check directly through the Hawaii criminal justice data center. The applicant shall provide the Hawaii criminal justice data center with personal identifying information which shall include but not be limited to the applicant's name, social security number, date of birth, and gender. This information shall be secured only for the purpose of conducting the criminal history record check authorized by this section. Failure of a cooperative housing corporation or the manager to conduct or verify or cause to have conducted or verified a background check shall not alone give rise to any private cause of action against the corporation or manager for acts and omissions of the employee hired. [L 2003, c 95, §6]