ND House passes bill to help those with criminal records find public employment

Pat Sweeney | Jan 24, 2019 AT 5:28 pm

Click to Enlarge

North Dakota’s House has passed a bill aimed at helping people with criminal backgrounds find public employment.

The measure says a public employer may not consider a job applicant’s criminal history – until the applicant has been selected for an interview.

The bill does not apply to corrections departments or public employers with a duty to conduct criminal history checks.

Representative Vernon Laning says currently, many qualified applicants are not getting a fair chance at jobs. He said people make mistakes, but they can also change.

Laning says the measure is not a "magic wand" for reducing the prison population, but it offers a second chance to someone "who truly wants to make something of their lives."

Laning says, according to corrections officials, the inability of released inmates to find jobs is one of the biggest reasons for their re-incarceration.



The vote passed by a vote of 81-to-11.