ARTICLE 21: MANDATORY BACKGROUND CHECKS

S1: As a condition of service to a Pop Warner league, all Coaches, Board of Directors’ members and any other persons or volunteer workers who have repetitive access to or contact with players and/or spirit participants, must complete and submit an official “Pop Warner Volunteer Application” to their local Pop Warner Association or League. Annual background checks must be completed prior to the applicant assuming his/her duties for the current season, and should be submitted to the League President prior to the start of the current season. Refusal to submit a fully completed “Pop Warner Volunteer Application” annually must result in the immediate dismissal of the individual or denial of participation for the applicant.

S2: Each League shall require and be responsible for enforcing all league and association personnel to annually submit to the League President a fully completed official “Pop Warner Volunteer Application,” prior to the applicant assuming his/her duties for the current season. The Volunteer Application must include signed permission from the applicant allowing the League or Association to perform the necessary background check. The official “Pop Warner Volunteer Application” shall only be modified in order to comply with local, state, provincial or national laws. Each League shall also require and be responsible for enforcing that an Officer of each member Association complete and submit an official Pop Warner “Association Confirmation of Compliance with Background Checks” affidavit. Each League is required to file an official Pop Warner “League Confirmation of Compliance with Background Checks” affidavit annually with the National Office. All volunteer applications, Association affidavits must be maintained by the League for a minimum of one year.

S3: No League shall permit any person to participate in any guilty plea to, any crime involving or against a minor. In addition, other charges and convictions may be an indication of an unfit volunteer, and therefore a League may prohibit any individual from participating as a volunteer if the League deems the individual unfit to work with minors, as long as the League applies the same criteria uniformly for all individuals seeking to volunteer.

S4: Each League must require that all volunteers undergo a background check screening which at minimum includes a check of the records for the state in which the volunteer resides. Beginning in 2005, if a League utilizes only a state sex offender registry check, that League must also perform a national database or a Federal background check search, such as those offered by rapsheets.com, the National Center for Safety Initiatives, or the FBI, unless prohibited by law. If a local organization becomes aware of information, by any means whatsoever, that an individual, including, but not limited to, volunteers, players and hired workers, has been convicted of or pled guilty to any crime involving or against a minor, the league must immediately contact the applicable government agency to confirm the accuracy of the information.

Upon confirmation of a conviction for, or guilty plea to, a crime against or involving a minor, the league must prohibit the individual from participating in any manner. Due to the fact that Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc. has no direct operational control over the selection of volunteers, each League shall be required to indemnify and hold harmless Pop Warner Little Scholars Inc. against all legal actions based upon allegations arising from a failure to enforce all or part of this regulation. Failure to comply with all or part of this regulation may result in the suspension or revocation of the league charter, the removal of league and/or association volunteers, ineligibility for participation in regional and national play, and as well as significant legal liability.