Update...I called Vendor Management this morning and was told:  "Title companies are now federally mandated to require background checks..."  I informed her that I was an Independent Contractor searching Public Records...not an employee of the company...She said "all title companies will be requiring the checks."....I informed her that she could find someone else to do my work....

Another thing that always bugged me about First American...they would not pay for copies...and a lot of their searches required full copies....