National News
Uber Back in Kansas after Background Check Bill Signed
June 03, 2015 posted by Steve Brownstein
Ride sharing technology provider Uber has returned services to Kansas after Governor Sam Brownback signed a new law – Kansas Senate Bill 101 (SB 101) – that will allow Uber to continue to perform background checks on its own drivers instead of with screenings done by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, according to a report by the Kansas City Star.
SB 101 would bar Uber from hiring drivers convicted of criminal offenses including identity theft, driving under the influence, and sexual assault. Uber could also face a civil lawsuit from the state’s attorney general if the company hires ineligible drivers, the Kansas City Star reports.
An Uber spokeswoman told the Kansas City Star in an e-mail that Uber drivers undergo a “rigorous” background check: The three-step screening process includes county, federal, and multi-state checks, a screen against the National Sex Offender registry, and historical and ongoing motor vehicle record checks.
Under SB 101, Uber drivers would also need to purchase comprehensive and collision insurance for vehicles under a lien or else risk losing their automobiles. The full text on Kansas State Bill 101 (SB 101) is available Kansas Legislature website at http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/measures/documents/sb101_enrolled.pdf.
As previously reported by ESR News, Uber shut down operations in Kansas in May after the state legislature overrode Governor Brownback’s veto of a bill – SB 117, The Creation of Kansas Transportation Network Company Services Act – requiring stricter background checks on drivers and increasing the insurance needed for all vehicles.
