BOSTON (WHDH) - A new law requiring background checks on ride-share drivers was signed into law recently but it will not go into effect until the end of the year.
Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill earlier in August. The new law requires a two-tiered system of checks on ride-share drivers. This means the companies, like Uber and Lyft, will conduct their own background checks. This includes criminal history, as well as checking motor vehicle records and the sex offender registry.
The state’s Department of Public Utilities then does a CORI check, looking at criminal records only law enforcement has access to. This law goes into effect in Novemver.
The Department of Public Utilities has up to a year to create the regulations. Uber said it has already been doing background checks but does not have access to police records. This has caused some concern, as several drivers have been arrested for charges including assault and lewdness.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)