S. 1528: CHILD Act of 2025
Sponsor
Richard Durbin
Democrat · IL
Kids shouldn't face contractor screening loopholes
Why it matters
If you drop your child off with an organization, you probably assume every adult around them can be background checked. S. 1528 expands screening to contractors, subcontractor staff, volunteers, and license or certification applicants — people who can fall outside the direct-hire model.
S. 1528 lets child-serving organizations background-check more of the people who actually work around kids, not just the people on their own payroll.
Right now, the bill says federal law does not clearly reach every contractor, subcontractor worker, volunteer, or license applicant tied to a qualified organization. S. 1528 changes that by expanding who counts as a covered individual.
That starts with contractors. If an organization works with children or other vulnerable populations and brings in someone by contract, or is considering someone for that contract work, the bill says that person can be treated the same way as someone applying for a direct job.
It also reaches one layer deeper. If a youth-serving organization hires another company to provide services, the employees and volunteers of that outside company could also be screened before they work around vulnerable people.
The bill also covers licensing and certification. If a qualified entity licenses or certifies people to provide care, S. 1528 says those current and prospective licensees or certificate holders can be included in the background-check process too.
The practical effect is narrower than a new national database but broader than a technical edit: it closes screening gaps created by outsourcing, volunteer pipelines, and licensing pathways.
The bill text does not add new fines, new prison terms, or a new funding stream. Its whole purpose is to widen the existing federal background-check net.
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Apr 22, 2026
Passed the Senate, received in House
S. 1528 Bill Summary
What S. 1528 actually does.
Contract workers can be screened
S. 1528 says people who contract with a qualified entity, or are seeking that contract work, can be included in the federal background-check process.
Subcontractor staff no longer sit outside the net
If an outside entity is under contract with a qualified organization, its employees, volunteers, and applicants can also be treated as covered individuals for screening.
Volunteer roles at contracted entities are included
The bill makes clear that unpaid volunteer roles tied to a contractor can still fall within the background-check framework.
License and certification applicants can be checked
People who are licensed or certified by a qualified entity, or are seeking that approval, would also be eligible for screening under S. 1528.
Existing law gets broader, not replaced
The bill works by expanding the current federal child-protection background-check framework rather than creating a separate national screening system.
Who benefits from S. 1528?
Children and vulnerable people in outsourced care settings
They gain from fewer screening blind spots when services are delivered by contractors, partner organizations, or licensed providers instead of only direct employees.
Parents trusting youth programs, camps, and care providers
If you assume everyone working around your child can be checked, S. 1528 moves the law closer to that real-world expectation.
Organizations that work with vulnerable populations
Qualified entities get clearer authority to request checks for people brought in through contracts, volunteers at contracted entities, and licensing or certification pipelines.
Licensing and certifying bodies tied to care work
Entities that approve people to provide care would have more explicit authority to screen applicants before giving that approval.
Who is affected by S. 1528?
Contractors and people applying for contract roles
If you do child-facing work by contract instead of as a direct employee, S. 1528 would pull you into the same screening framework.
Employees and volunteers at outside partner organizations
People working for a company or nonprofit that serves a qualified entity could be checked even if they are one step removed from the main organization.
People seeking licenses or certifications to provide care
Applicants could face background screening before they are approved, not only after they begin working.
Qualified entities running screenings
Organizations would need to treat more categories of workers and applicants as part of their screening process.
What Congress Is Saying
S. 1528 has come up 18 times in the Congressional Record so far.
S. 1528 also appeared in 2 more Senate floor references and 5 routine cosponsor filings.
S1528 Legislative Journey
House: Action Taken
Apr 22, 2026
Held at the desk.
Passed
Apr 21, 2026
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S1854; text: CR S1854)
+1 more action this day
Committee Action
Jul 28, 2025
Committee on the Judiciary. Reported without amendment. Without written report.
Passed Committee
Jul 24, 2025
Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Committee Action
Apr 30, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S2716)
About the Sponsor
Richard Durbin
Democrat, IL · 43 years in Congress
Committees: the Judiciary, Appropriations, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
View full profile →
Cosponsors (3)
This bill has 3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republican, reflecting bipartisan support. Cosponsors represent 3 states: Delaware, Georgia, Iowa.
Committee Sponsors
Judiciary Committee
2 of 21 committee members cosponsored
9 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
S. 1528 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Judiciary
- Chamber
- Senate
- Policy
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Introduced
- Apr 30, 2025
Passed the Senate, received in House
Apr 22, 2026
Official Sources
The official Congress.gov page provides the bill text, actions, sponsors, and status for S. 1528.
This bill amends the National Child Protection Act framework in title 34, so the U.S. Code page is the core statutory reference.
Section 2 of the bill specifically amends 34 U.S.C. 40104(9)(B), the definitions section governing who counts as a covered individual.
Federal background-check access under the act ultimately relates to criminal history record checks, which the FBI explains through its identity history summary information page.
OJJDP is a Justice Department office focused on child protection and juvenile justice, making it a relevant official context link for legislation aimed at protecting children in care settings.
S. 1528 Common Questions
Who is newly covered by S. 1528 background checks?
S. 1528 adds four main groups: contractors, people applying for contract roles, employees or volunteers working for a contractor, and people seeking a license or certification from a qualified entity.
Does S. 1528 apply only to direct employees?
No. The whole point of S. 1528 is to go beyond direct hires and cover contract workers, subcontractor staff, volunteers, and some license or certification applicants too.
Can a contractor working with kids be background checked under S. 1528?
Yes. If you contract with a qualified entity that serves children or other vulnerable people, S. 1528 says you can be included in the federal screening framework.
What if someone works for a company hired by a youth organization?
S. 1528 covers that too. Employees and volunteers working for an entity under contract with a qualified organization could also be screened.
Can someone be checked before getting a license or certification?
Yes. S. 1528 says people seeking to be licensed or certified by a qualified entity can be included in the background-check process before approval.
Does S. 1528 create a new national background-check system?
No. It expands who can be screened under the existing federal child-protection framework rather than building a separate new system.
Does S. 1528 add new fines or criminal penalties?
No. The bill text expands screening categories, but it does not add a new fine schedule, prison term, or separate criminal penalty.
What happens to S. 1528 next?
As of the latest action provided, S. 1528 was held at the desk. It would still need further Senate action and then House approval before becoming law.
Based on S. 1528 bill text
S. 1528 Bill Text
“To amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to ensure that businesses and organizations that work with vulnerable populations are able to request background checks for their contractors who work with those populations, as well as for individuals that the businesses or organizations license or certify to provide care for those populations.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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