MONTGOMERY — After struggling with malfunctioning voting machines, the Alabama House of Representatives spent much of Tuesday debating a bill aimed at helping employers and law enforcement agencies stay informed about the people they hire.
House Bill 100, sponsored by State Rep. Bryan Brinyark (R-Tuscaloosa), would require law enforcement agencies to collect certain biometric data, such as fingerprints, eye scans, etc., on arrested suspects. The bill also establishes the Alabama Rap Back Program, which allows authorized subscribers to receive updates on their employees' criminal histories, as reported by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency or the FBI.
Brinyark explained that the program would mirror the current background checks employers use, both state and private, during the hiring process. However, it would allow for ongoing updates to the check as long as the employer is subscribed to the service.
Several lawmakers had concerns about privacy and the potential negative impact on people later found to be innocent.
"So, in other words, we're going to be monitoring people," State Rep. Thomas Jackson (D-Thomasville) said. "I got a private life."
Brinyark said arrests were public information, and joked that no one would know "you went to the social club." He said an alert on the background check would require a triggering event, which differs between public and private entities.
Brinyark explained that an arrest would trigger an alert to the employer of a state employee. However, a report would be sent to private employers only upon conviction of a charge, rather than arrest.
State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough (R-Trinity) asked Brinyark to show him in the bill where it makes that distinction, and asked that an amendment be added to clarify the bill's language.
After more debate, Brinyark requested that the bill be carried over for the call of the chair.
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