Accompanying any application for a new license for a facility, the applicant shall furnish to the department a records check application for the director and a satisfactory preliminary records check for each employee of such facility. In lieu of such records check applications, the applicant may submit evidence, satisfactory to the department, that within the immediately preceding 12 months the director received satisfactory state and national fingerprint records check determinations and each employee received a satisfactory preliminary records check determination, or that any employee other than the director whose preliminary records check revealed a criminal record of any kind has either subsequently received satisfactory state and national fingerprint records check determinations or has had the unsatisfactory determination reversed in accordance with Code Section 49-5-73. The department may either perform preliminary records checks under agreement with GCIC or contract with GCIC and appropriate law enforcement agencies which have access to GCIC information to have those agencies perform for the department a preliminary records check for each preliminary records check application submitted thereto by the department. Either the department or the appropriate law enforcement agencies may charge reasonable fees for performing preliminary records checks.