A provision buried in Pennsylvania's horse racing reform bill expands background check requirements for fitness industry workers—effective immediately.
Most gym and fitness studio owners in Pennsylvania don't realize that a provision tucked into HB2625—a bill primarily about horse racing industry reform—directly affects how they handle employee background checks. The change is already in effect, and it's worth understanding.
HB2625, which became law with immediate effect upon enactment (Section 2), modified Pennsylvania's background check requirements under § 9312(2)(ii) on Page 2 of the bill. The key change: fingerprint background checks must now be submitted directly to the Pennsylvania State Police only.
Previously, facility owners had the option to submit fingerprints through an authorized agent—typically a private third-party vendor that handled the submission on their behalf. That option no longer exists. Direct submission to State Police is now mandatory.
At the same time, the bill expanded the definition of "applicant" subject to mandatory FBI background checks through a new subparagraph (VIII). This expansion covers 15 named occupational categories, which now includes fitness facility workers and related positions in the health and wellness sector.
If your gym or fitness studio employs staff members who fall within the expanded occupational categories under the new definition, those employees are now subject to the mandatory FBI background check requirement. The requirement applies to new hires and, depending on your facility's policies and any existing agreements, may affect current staff during renewal periods.
The practical impact is straightforward: when you need to obtain fingerprint-based background checks for applicable employees, you must now route those fingerprints directly through the Pennsylvania State Police rather than using a third-party vendor as an intermediary.
This means:
The change took effect immediately upon enactment, so this is not a future requirement—it's current policy.
If you're currently using a third-party vendor for fingerprint submissions, contact the Pennsylvania State Police directly to understand their current procedures for direct submission. You may also want to review your employee handbook and hiring policies to ensure they reflect the new requirement.
Because HB2625 was primarily focused on horse racing reform, this provision received little attention in fitness industry circles. But it's real, it's in effect now, and it changes how you'll handle background checks going forward.
Source: HB2625, Section 1 (amending § 9312(2)(ii)), Page 2; Section 2 (effective date provision).