WANT TO JOIN THE BUA
Click BUA-Joining-Form to fill out a form to email us your application OR download an old school application to fill out manually.
Background Check Policy
Our policy to comply with PA State Law is summarized below.
BUA Policy to comply with PA State Law
Effective January 1, 2016 all BUA members will need to:
- Provide copies of their 3 certifications every 60 months prior to receiving assignments in Arbitersports
- Any member with certification issued prior to July 1, 2015, must renew their certifications within 60 months from the date of their oldest certification or If their current certification is older than 60 months, by December 31, 2015.
Who needs certifications?
- An individual 14 years of age or older who is applying for or holding a paid position as an employee with a program, activity or service as a person responsible for the child’s welfare or having direct contact with children.
Which certifications are needed?
Employees having contact with children must obtain the following three certifications:
- Report of criminal history from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP);
- Child Abuse History Certification from the Department of Human Services (Child Abuse); and
- Fingerprint based federal criminal history submitted through the Pennsylvania State Police or its authorized agent (FBI).
How much do the certifications cost? (at the time of writing of this process)
- The PSP criminal history certification costs $8
- The Child Abuse certification costs $8
- The FBI federal criminal history certification costs $25.75 through the Department of Human Services (takes 6-8 weeks) (new website)
Does the BUA require a copy of my certifications?
- YES, instructions will be provided on how to submit your clearances to the BUA in order to comply with the Pennsylvania law. No clearances no games.
How often do I need to renew my certifications?
- Beginning July 1, 2015, certifications must be obtained every 60 months.
- Any employee with current certification issued prior to July 1, 2015, must renew their certifications within 60 months from the date of their oldest certification or if their current certification is older than 60 months, by December 31, 2015.
- Note: If any member’s certifications expire during our season April 1 to October 31 they must renew their certifications prior to April 1st of the current year.
Can I use a child abuse history certification or PSP criminal history certification I obtained for my volunteer activities for employment purposes?
- No. Child abuse history certifications and PSP criminal history certifications obtained for volunteer purposes can only be used for other volunteer activities. Child abuse history certifications obtained for volunteer purposes will indicate that the clearance is to be used for volunteer purposes only.
Can I use a child abuse history certification, FBI Fingerprints, or PSP criminal history I obtained for employment purposes for volunteer purposes?
- Yes, if you obtained a certification for employment purposes within the previous 60 months you may use the certification to serve in a volunteer capacity for any program, activity or service.
DHS Websites: (as of the writing of this process)
- http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/findaform/childabusehistoryclearanceforms/index.htm
- https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS - Child Abuse
- https://uenroll.identogo.com/ - FBI (can take 6-8 weeks)
o USE CODE: 1KG756 (this is new as of 4/2019)
o STOP USING THE old code
- https://epatch.state.pa.us/Home.jsp - PA State Background Check
- http://KeepKidsSafe.pa.gov - general site for information