More healthcare professionals in New Jersey will be required to get criminal background checks when applying for a license under a new law aimed at improving patient safety.

Applied behavior analysts, art therapists, and dietitians/nutritionists will now be required to undergo criminal background checks as part of the licensure or renewal process. While there are laws in New Jersey requiring each of these professions to be licensed, the laws do not standardize a criminal background check requirement for license applicants, officials said.

Previously, criminal background checks for these healthcare professions were largely conducted at the discretion of individual facilities, based on employer policies and specific workplace requirements.