Want to volunteer in your child's school this year? You might have to undergo a federal criminal background check first.

        This is just one of a handful of new laws passed by Ohio's 123rd General Assembly that will go into effect in 2001.

        Senate Bill 187 requires a Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation criminal-records check for any person who applies to be or is a volunteer and will have unsupervised access to a child in a school or other educational, religious, charitable, athletic or government entity that provides specified services to children.

        The law goes into effect at the end of March. Gov. Bob Taft signed it Dec. 21.

        Schools districts and other agencies can request the background checks. Those requesting the checks must pay for them.

        Legislative studies show the new law will have a minimal financial impact. The criminal checks cost $15 for each state check and $2 for each national check forwarded to the FBI. It is unknown how many checks will actually be requested.

        Parents and school workers worry that the law will have a chilling effect.

        “I am concerned that this will prevent people from coming in to volunteer,” said parent Martha Blumenfeld, who has volunteered at sev eral Cincinnati Public Schools. “This sets up more roadblocks and could make it more difficult to attract new volunteers.”

        Among other laws that will go into effect when educators and students return to the classroom after the winter holiday break:

        • House Bill 620, school expulsions. This law allows a school district to adopt a resolution that calls for a one-year expulsion for any student making a bomb threat to a school or a school activity. It goes into effect March 12.

        • Senate Bill 115, prison education. This law requires prisoners in the custody of the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to participate in educational programs. Children who are committed to the Department of Youth Services must work toward earning a high school diploma. This law also limits certain types of prisoner jobs to prisoners who have earned a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalence. It goes into effect at the end of March.

        • House Bill 383, school age. This law allows school boards to adopt the first day of August, instead of the 30th day of September, as the date by which a child must be 5 years old to be admitted to kindergarten. Children entering first grade must be 6 years old by this date. The law goes into effect Feb. 13.

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