Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed a bill into law that mandated background checks for Iowa school bus drivers that was championed by an Osage, Iowa woman’s concern for child safety. Kim Koenigs of Osage worked and advocated for the bill, taking her concerns about the lack of checks to the Iowa Department of Education. Education officials agreed to author the bill. Under the new law, background checks must be done using the dependent adult abuse, child abuse and sex abuse registries, as well as a mandatory check of Iowa Courts Online, for criminal and driving background checks. Anyone found on the registries can not be hired. The checks must be conducted every five years and paid for by the school district. School officials must also maintain documentation that demonstrates compliance.
