Contractor Background Verification Form

Contractors or subcontractors must be fingerprinted if they:

• Provide continuing services, and
• Have direct, unsupervised contact with students

Continuing services: Work performed regularly or repeatedly. 

Direct contact: Opportunity for in‑person or verbal interaction with students without constant supervision. Examples: coaches, tutors, and other recurring service providers.

Contractors are not required to be fingerprinted if they meet any of the following:

1. No continuing services and no direct, unsupervised student contact

• Examples: guest speakers, event officials, competition judges.

2. Designated by DPS as a Qualified School Contractor (QC)

• DPS determines QC eligibility under the National Child Protection Act.
• QCs must obtain national criminal history information for their employees.
• Districts may accept QC certification or may require LEE FAST Pass fingerprinting.

3. Public works contractors meeting construction‑related conditions

• Existing facilities:
  • Work occurs outside instructional areas, or
  • Construction areas are fully separated and secured, and
  • Contractors enforce a no‑interaction policy with students.
• New facilities:
  • Construction is completed at least seven days before instructional use.

Contractors may not work in schools if they:

• Are listed on the DPS sex offender registry
• Have been convicted of a Title V felony against a minor

Districts may use discretion for other offenses. TEA does not adjudicate contractor criminal history.

Most contractors use the LEE FAST (Local Education Entity Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas) Pass, which allows districts to access DPS/FBI fingerprint‑based criminal history results through the DPS FACT Clearinghouse.

The LEE FAST Pass may be used for:

• Non‑QC contractors with continuing, direct student contact
• Public works contractors who do not meet exemption criteria
• QC contractors when districts want access to employee criminal history

Key points:

• Districts request LEE FAST Pass or FACT Clearinghouse access through DPS.
• Districts must periodically verify their Clearinghouse subscriptions.
• LEE FAST cannot be used for substitute teachers employed through staffing agencies; these individuals must be fingerprinted through TEA.
• Contractors fingerprint only once under LEE FAST; results remain available in the Clearinghouse.
• Districts may use LEE FAST to reprint individuals previously fingerprinted through TEA or before June 1, 2015, to ensure enrollment in FBI Rap Back.