(a) The Department of Motor Vehicles may require fingerprint images and associated information from an employee or prospective employee whose duties include or would include any of the following:

(1) Access to confidential information in a database of the department.

(2) Access to confidential or sensitive information provided by a member of the public including, but not limited to, a credit card number or social security account number.

(3) Access to cash, checks, or other accountable items.

(4) Responsibility for the development or maintenance of a critical automated system.

(5) Making decisions regarding the issuance or denial of a license, endorsement, certificate, or indicia.

(b) The fingerprint images and associated information of an employee or prospective employee of the Department of Motor Vehicles whose duties include or would include those specified in subdivision (a), or any person who assumes those duties, may be furnished to the Department of Justice for the purpose of obtaining information as to the existence and nature of a record of state or federal level convictions and state or federal level arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the applicant was released on bail or on his or her own recognizance pending trial. Requests for federal level criminal offender record information, received by the Department of Justice, pursuant to this section, shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the Department of Justice.

(c) The Department of Justice shall respond to the Department of Motor Vehicles with information as provided under subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.

(d) The Department of Motor Vehicles shall request subsequent arrest notification, from the Department of Justice, as provided under Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code, for applicants described in subdivision (a).

(e) The Department of Justice may assess a fee sufficient to cover the processing costs required under this section, as authorized pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.

(f) This section does not apply to an employee of the Department of Motor Vehicles whose appointment occurred prior to January 1, 2005.

(g) The Department of Motor Vehicles may investigate the criminal history of persons applying for employment in order to make a final determination of that person’s fitness to perform duties that would include any of those specified in subdivision (a).

(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 419, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)