AB 218 Fairness in Government Hiring Practices

AB 218 (Dickinson) helps level the playing field for qualified Californians to compete for jobs and promotes public safety by reducing unnecessary job barriers for the nearly seven million adult Californians with a criminal record. The bill applies to state agencies and city and county employers by delaying a criminal background check inquiry until later in the application process. Please send in your organization’s letter of support for AB 218 by March 25th.

Send in your letter of support on your organization’s letterhead to Assembly Judiciary Committee via fax at 916-319-2188 and to Assemblymember Dickinson via email Taryn.Kinney@asm.ca.gov or fax (916) 319-2107 (Attn: Taryn Kinney).

Please cc: Michelle at mrodriguez@nelp.org for tracking purposes.

 

[LETTERHEAD]

 

[DATE]

Chair Bob Wieckowski and committee members

Assemblymember Roger Dickinson
Assembly Judiciary Committee
1020 N Street, Room 104
Sacramento, CA 95814
Via facsimile (916) 319-2188
Via electronic mail Taryn.Kinney@asm.ca.gov or facsimile (916) 319-2107

RE: SUPPORT FOR AB 218

Dear Chair Wieckowski, committee members, and Assemblymember Dickinson:

[ORGANIZATION] strongly supports AB 218, which helps level the playing field for qualified Californians to compete for jobs and promotes public safety by reducing unnecessary job barriers for the nearly seven million adult Californians with a criminal record.

AB 218 removes the question about an individual’s criminal history from state, city, and county job applications while permitting a background check later in the hiring process. Studies have shown that stable employment significantly lowers recidivism and promotes public safety. All of California will benefit when people with criminal records are no longer shut out of jobs and can financially support their families and contribute to a strong economic recovery.

[DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION; WHY ISSUE IS IMPORTANT TO ORGANIZATION; IF APPROPRIATE, INCLUDE ANY STORIES OF WORKERS]

In California and around the country, qualified job applicants are plagued by old or minor records and discouraged from applying because a “box” on job applications requires criminal history information that leads many employers to unfairly reject their applications. Because people of color are especially hard hit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently endorsed as a best practice removing the question about conviction histories from job applications to maximize compliance with federal civil rights law.

AB 218 follows the lead of six states and over 40 U.S. cities and counties that have removed the conviction history inquiry from initial job applications in public employment and instead delayed a criminal background check until the later stages of hiring. AB 218 allows people with a conviction history to compete fairly for employment without compromising safety and security at the workplace. The bill exempts jobs for which a criminal background check is legally required and law enforcement related positions.

Public sector employers in California have a special obligation to pave the way for the private sector to reduce barriers to employment of people with criminal records. For these reasons, [ORGANIZATION] strongly supports AB 218.

Sincerely,

[NAME]
[TITLE]