(1) For the purposes of this section:

(a) “Applicant” means any person who is applying to become an employee of UMMC.

(b) “Employee” means an employee, contractor, temporary worker or consultant.

(c) “UMMC” means the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

(2) The University of Mississippi Medical Center shall fingerprint and perform a criminal history record check on all new employees that work in or provide direct patient care. In addition, UMMC shall perform a disciplinary check with the professional licensing agency of the employee, if any, to determine if any disciplinary action has been taken against the employee by that agency. Except as otherwise provided in this section, no employee of UMMC hired on or after July 1, 2004, shall be permitted to provide direct patient care until the results of the criminal history record check have revealed no disqualifying record or the employee has been granted a waiver. In order to determine the applicant’s suitability for employment, the applicant shall be fingerprinted. Fingerprints shall be submitted to the Department of Public Safety by UMMC via scanning or other electronic method, with the results processed through the Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Information Center. If no disqualifying record is identified at the state level, the applicant’s fingerprints shall be forwarded by the Department of Public Safety to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. If the criminal history record check discloses a felony conviction, guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder, manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, sex offense listed in Section 45-33-23(h), child abuse, arson, grand larceny, burglary, gratification of lust or aggravated assault, or felonious abuse and/or battery of a vulnerable adult that has not been reversed on appeal or for which a pardon has not been granted, the applicant shall not be eligible to be employed at UMMC.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, any such applicant may be employed on a temporary basis pending the results of the criminal history record check. Any employment contract with an applicant during the application process shall be voidable upon receipt of a disqualifying criminal history record check if no waiver is granted under subsection (4) of this section.

(4) UMMC may, in its discretion, allow any applicant aggrieved by an employment decision under this section to appear before the UMMC hiring officer, or his or her designee, to show mitigating circumstances that may exist and allow the applicant to be employed at UMMC. UMMC, upon report and recommendation of the hiring officer, may grant waivers for those mitigating circumstances, which shall include, but not be limited to: (a) age at which the crime was committed; (b) circumstances surrounding the crime; (c) length of time since the conviction and criminal history since the conviction; (d) work history; (e) current employment and character references; and (f) other evidence demonstrating the ability of the individual to perform the employment responsibilities competently and that the individual does not pose a threat to the health or safety of the patients admitted to UMMC.

(5) Upon the receipt of an applicant’s criminal history record check that reveals no disqualifying event, UMMC shall, within two (2) weeks of the notification of no disqualifying event, provide the applicant with a notarized letter signed by the vice chancellor, or his or her authorized designee, confirming the applicant’s suitability for employment based on his or her criminal history record check. An applicant or employee may use that letter for a period of two (2) years from the date of the letter to seek employment at any covered entity, as defined in Section 43-11-13(5), without the necessity of an additional criminal history record check under Section 43-11-13(5). Any covered entity presented with the letter may rely on the letter for a period of two (2) years from the date of the letter without having to conduct or have conducted a criminal history record check on the applicant or employee.

(6) UMMC may charge a fee not to exceed Fifty Dollars ($50.00) for fingerprinting applicants, students, employees, contractors, consultants, outside agency personnel, visiting faculty, researchers or any other individual(s) that may provide direct services to UMMC.

(7) UMMC and its agents, officers, employees, attorneys and representatives shall be presumed to be acting in good faith for any employment decision or action taken under this section. The presumption of good faith may be overcome by a preponderance of the evidence in any civil action. UMMC or its agents, officers, employees, attorneys and representatives shall not be held liable in any employment decision or action based in whole or in part on compliance with or attempts to comply in good faith with the requirements of this section.