(a)  (1)  The department shall establish a trustline registry pursuant to this chapter and shall continuously update the registry information. Upon submission of the trustline application and fingerprints or other identification documents pursuant to either subdivision (a) or (e) of Section 1596.603, the department shall enter into the trustline registry the provider’s name, identification card number, and an indicator that the provider has submitted an application and fingerprints or identification documentation. This provider shall be known as a “trustline applicant.”

(2)  A person shall not be entitled to apply to be a trustline provider and shall have his or her application returned without the right to appeal if the provider would not be eligible to obtain a child care license pursuant to Section 1596.851.

(b)  (1)  Before approving the person’s application, the department shall check the individual criminal history pursuant to Section 1596.871 and against the child abuse index pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1596.877. Upon completion of the searches of the state summary criminal history information and the child abuse index, and, if applicable, the records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the department shall grant the trustline application if grounds do not exist for denial pursuant to Section 1596.607 and the department shall enter that finding in the provider’s record in the trustline registry and shall notify the provider of the action. This provider shall be known as a “registered trustline child care provider.”

(2)  The department may transfer the criminal record clearance granted to a registered trustline child care provider and hold the registered trustline child care provider’s criminal record clearance in its active files pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1596.871.

(Added by Stats. 1997, Ch. 843, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1998. Section operative July 1, 1998, pursuant to Section 1596.68.)