There's a specific question that will no longer appear on any application after a law passed this last legislative session is now in motion

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APPLICATION. SHELLYE LEGGETT HAS MORE ON THE VAN THE BOX LAW. SHELLYE: THE NEXT TIME YOU FILL OUT ONE OF THESE, THE SECTION IN CRIMINAL HISTORY SHOULDN’T NO LONGER BE THERE. THEY WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO ASK ABOUT IT ON THEIR APPLICATION FORMS. ANOTHER LAW PASSED THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION IS IN MOTION. SENATE BILL 96, BETTER KNOWN AS BAN THE BOX. >> IN THE PAST, IN A LOT OF PLACES AROUND THE UNITED STATES, COMPANIES USE THAT TO DISCARD PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY. SHELLYE: STARTING FRIDAY WHEN YOU FILL OUT A JOB APPLICATION, THIS SECTION WILL NO LONGER BE THERE. >> THIS INCLUDES EVERY EMPLOYER IN THE STATE. SCHOOLS, PRIVATE BUSINESSES, UNIVERSITIES, NATIONAL LABS, EVERYBODY. SHELLYE: GOVERNOR LUJAN GRISHAM SAYS IT LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD FOR NEARLY 70 MILLION AMERICANS WITH AN ARREST OR CONVICTION HISTORY. >> PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING OUT OF PRISON. MOST OF THESE PEOPLE WANT A CHANCE TO DO BETTER IN LIFE, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO GET A JOB. SHELLYE: YOU CAN’T HAVE THE QUESTION ON AN APPLICATION BUT IT DOESN’T SAY EMPLOYERS CAN VERBALLY ASK -- CAN’T VERBALLY ASK. >> IT WILL PROBABLY COME UP IN THE INTERVIEWER TRAINING OR SOMETHING SHELLYE: ROBERT STEINBERG SAYS THE BOX ON THE APPLICATION WILL MATTER. >> AS FAR AS CHECKING A BOX FOR WHETHER SOMEONE HAS A CRIMINAL HISTORY, I GUESS AS LONG AS YOU CAN BRING IT UP IN AN INTERVIEW, THE APPLICATION FORM WOULDN’T MATTER THAT MUCH. SHELLYE: 35 STATES HAD MORE THAN 150 CITIES AND COUNTIES ACROSS THE NATION HAVE ADOPTED SOME FORM OF BAN THE BOX. 12 STATES INCLUDING NEW MEXICO HAVE MANDATED THE REMOVAL OF CONVICTION HISTORY QUESTIONS FOR PRIVATE EMPLOYERS. AFTER TOMORROW, IF A JOB APPLICATION ASKS ABOUT CRIMINAL HISTORY, YOU CAN SUBMIT A COMPLAINT TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS BUREAU. THE LINK IS ON OUR WEBSITE IN THIS ARTICLE.

Advertisement 'Ban the Box' law goes into affect for all businesses in New Mexico There's a specific question that will no longer appear on any application after a law passed this last legislative session is now in motion Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Starting on Friday, job applications in New Mexico will look a little different. There's a specific question that will no longer appear on any application after a law passed this last legislative session is now in motion. Senate Bill 96, better known as "Ban the Box.""In the past, what has happened in a lot of places around the United States is that companies then use that to just discard people right away," said Bill McCamley, New Mexico Secretary of Workforce Solutions.On paper or online, the section asking about criminal history will no longer be there."This now includes every single employer in the state; schools, private businesses, universities, national labs, everybody," McCamley said.Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and backers of the law said it levels the playing field for nearly 70 million Americans with an arrest or conviction history."People that are coming out of prison, most of these folks want a chance to do better in life, but in order to get that they have to be able to get a job," McCamley said.The law states and employer can't have the question on an application, but it does not state that an employer can't verbally ask the person applying during the interview process or do a background check on that person."I think it will probably come out in the interview or a training or something," said Robert Steinberg of Stone Mountain Bead Gallery in Nob Hill.He said the box on the application won't matter."As far as the checking a box for whether someone has a criminal history, I guess as long as you can bring it up in an interview, the application form wouldn't matter that much," Steinberg said.Thirty-five states and more than 150 cities and counties across the nation have adopted some form of "Ban the Box." Twelve states, now including New Mexico, have also mandated the removal of conviction history questions for private employers. After Friday, if a job application asks about criminal history, you can submit a complaint to the human rights bureau here.