House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	August 20, 2020 10:09 AM
From:	Representative Austin A. Davis
To:	All House members
Subject:	Prohibiting Employer Credit Checks

Employers often conduct credit checks of applicants when hiring. In doing this, they illegitimately obstruct access to employment for many of the people who need work the most. As many as 10% of unemployed Americans have been denied work because of their credit history, a history that has little relationship with how well a job applicant would perform in most positions. This is why I am introducing legislation that prohibits employers from using an applicant’s credit report for making employment decisions. This prohibition will exist in most cases though exceptions will exist for if an individual is applying for an executive position at a financial institution, an individual holds employment that requires a clearance, or the information is required by law. Similar prohibitions exist in eleven other states, and the United States House of Representatives passed legislation earlier this year to enact such a ban throughout the country. Workers deserve a fair chance when applying for a job. When an employer checks the credit history of an applicant, they are only getting a part of the story and are eliminating qualified candidates. Join me in supporting this legislation and help to remove an unnecessary hurdle Pennsylvanians face when trying to find employment.
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Introduced as HB2828