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TOPEKA — A bill that would require background checks for prospective Emergency Medical Services workers is back before a Senate committee.

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee on Thursday heard Senate Bill 222, which would allow the Kansas Board of EMS to require fingerprinting and background checks for anyone applying to work for EMS services in the state.

The measure was approved by the Senate in 2008 and 2009 but only after the provisions requiring fingerprinting had been removed.

Fingerprints are needed to access national criminal history databases, said Robert Waller, executive director of the EMS board.

The bill is needed so the board can confirm that prospective employees do not have felony convictions, Waller said Thursday.

A person with a felony record can falsify the job application, he said, and without a background check there’s no way to know for sure if the applicant is telling the truth.

Admitting to a felony wouldn’t disqualify an applicant, he said, but the board could then investigate the person to ensure that they would not be a threat to patients in their care.

The measure also becomes more important as the state works to recruit EMS workers from other states, Waller said.

“If someone moves from Missouri, we wouldn’t know if they had a felony conviction in that state,” he said.

The committee did not take action on the bill.