Gov. Nathan Deal is expected to sign a bill Wednesday that would bring major changes to child care centers across Georgia designed to improve child safety.

Legislation passed by the General Assembly calls for every employee of the state's roughly 6,300 licensed child care facilities to undergo a comprehensive, fingerprint-based background check. The bill is aimed at preventing those with a prior felony conviction from working around children.

Deal was scheduled to sign the bill at an event at a Macon school Wednesday afternoon.

Current law requires only the director of a child care facility to pass the more comprehensive check.

Under the legislation, all employees will have to pass the check before being eligible to work at a licensed child care facility in the state.

Tags: Nathan Deal, criminal background check, child care center, child care, background checks, fingerprints, 2013 general assembly