1. (a) Through the Illinois State Police, the licensing or issuing Department shall conduct a criminal history record check of the prospective principal officers, board members, and agents of a cannabis business establishment applying for a license or identification card under this Act.

   Each cannabis business establishment prospective principal officer, board member, or agent shall submit his or her fingerprints to the Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police.

   Unless otherwise provided in this Act, such fingerprints shall be transmitted through a live scan fingerprint vendor licensed by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history record check, which shall be deposited into the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the State and national criminal history record check. The Illinois State Police shall furnish, pursuant to positive identification, all Illinois conviction information and shall forward the national criminal history record information to:

   1. (i) the Department of Agriculture, with respect to a cultivation center, craft grower, infuser organization, or transporting organization; or
   2. (ii) the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, with respect to a dispensing organization.
2. (b) When applying for the initial license or identification card, the background checks for all prospective principal officers, board members, and agents shall be completed before submitting the application to the licensing or issuing agency.
3. (c) All applications for licensure under this Act by applicants with criminal convictions shall be subject to Sections 2105-131, 2105-135, and 2105-205 of the Department of Professional Regulation Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois.

(Source: P.A. 101-27, eff. 6-25-19; 101-593, eff. 12-4-19; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)