Kansas BSRB proposes mandatory background checks for new and reinstated licenses, KBI fee $57

The executive director of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board told the Behavior Analyst Advisory Committee on Aug. 15 that the board is preparing to require criminal background checks for new license applicants, for license reinstatements and in some disciplinary investigations.

David Fye said the board’s enabling statute already authorizes such a requirement and that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation would perform the checks. The KBI fee would be $57 per check, he said, and the board expects that staff will need additional time to review checks and that investigations could increase where background checks reveal concerns.

Fye framed the change in the context of multistate licensure compacts. He told the advisory committee that two of the compacts already in use require background checks as a condition of participating, and a third compact will require them once fully operational. Without a background-check requirement, licensees would be ineligible to practice under those compacts, he said.

Fye said the board discussed the proposal at a recent board meeting and was supportive of adopting background checks for the situations described. He said the board plans to implement the requirement for initial applications and reinstatements rather than requiring background checks from every current licensee on renewal cycles; however, the board would allow current licensees to opt in if they wish to be eligible for compact privileges.

Fye also said he has discussed operational details with the KBI and is working through how to implement the process and how staff will record and manage checks in the board’s tracking systems. He said the $57 fee would be paid to the KBI and not to the BSRB. The board will bring implementation details forward as they are finalized.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the change during the meeting; the item was presented as an executive director update and the board-level discussion and support were reported to the advisory committee.

Why it matters: multistate compacts allow licensed practitioners to provide services across state lines without obtaining a separate license in each state, so the background-check requirement affects practitioners who want that mobility. The fee and anticipated staff time represent a new operational cost and administrative step for applicants and for the board.