House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

Posted:	March 1, 2019 02:14 PM
From:	Representative Austin A. Davis
To:	All House members
Subject:	Ban the Box

In America, we believe in giving people second chances. However, some people are automatically disqualified for a job before the ink dries on their job application. This is because qualified applicants with a criminal record are often disqualified because of mistakes from the past. Everyone deserves a fair chance at a job, which could turn their life around. My legislation will give people with criminal records a fair chance at employment. My bill prohibits any employer from inquiring about a criminal history until a conditional offer of employment has been made to the applicant. When I worked for Allegheny County, a similar system was in place and it yielded results. Please note, my bill will still allow employers, who are required by state or federal law to inquire about criminal histories, to do so at the appropriate and required time. I ask that you join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that will help get more Pennsylvanians working, which in turn will help reduce repeat offenders, and provide qualified workers for our workforce.
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Introduced as HB898