HARTFORD — The House has approved a bill that would prohibit most employers from asking about criminal histories during the job application process.
The prohibition, commonly referred to as “ban the box,” wouldn’t apply to certain financial or insurance companies. The bill, which passed 135-8 on Tuesday, now awaits action in the Senate.
Lawmakers from both parties said that prohibiting criminal history questions from job applications would help those released from prison get their lives on track.
Rep. Brandon L. McGee, D-Hartford, said that ending “workplace discrimination is extremely important” in reducing recidivism.
He said most people released from prison are “seeking another opportunity to move forward financially and take care of their family.”
Rep. Sam Belsito, R-Tolland, echoed the statement, saying, “I think it’s an excellent bill and it will go a long ways to helping individuals get a good position.”
Proponents said employers are more likely to dismiss a job application when someone indicates that they have a criminal history, a problem that falls disproportionately on minorities.
“It is less likely for an employer to use the soft racism of a box or discrimination of having a box so that this person doesn’t get called in,” said Rep. David Rutigliano, R-Trumbull.
Employers are currently allowed to ask if an applicant has a criminal history as part of an application, but in most cases can’t deny employment based solely on a past arrest.
Rep. Robyn A. Porter, D-New Haven, said the ban would apply only to the initial application form and employers could ask the question during an interview. She said, though, that lawmakers have heard that employers rarely ask the question.
She also said that other states already have instituted similar bans, and a number of companies, including Wal-Mart, have removed questions from their applications.
Porter added that Target Corp. worked with lawmakers to craft the bill in a way that addressed concerns from business owners.
The bill doesn’t apply to industries in which state or federal law dictates that people with certain convictions be denied employment. Those fields include banks, insurance companies, investment firms, or other jobs with access to money, financial records, or personal information.
Rep. Christie M. Carpino, R-Cromwell, one of eight Republicans to vote against the bill, said the list was too exclusive, and that criminal histories should be part of “part of an honest conversation.”
The bill also creates a task force of lawmakers to further study employment opportunities to those with criminal histories.
Ban-the-box language also was included in a Judiciary Committee proposal that otherwise addressed police body cameras, but the provision was removed from that bill.
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