HLS 14RS-3158 ENGROSSED
Page 1 of 2
Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 85
BY REPRESENTATIVE SMITH
CIVIL SERVICE: Requests agencies in state government to adopt ban the box employment
policies
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request each agency in state government to develop and implement employment2
policies that remove questions about criminal history from the initial job application3
and delay any background check until later in the hiring process for unclassified4
positions for which a criminal background check is not required by law.5
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana incarcerates a large number of people, most of6
whom will eventually return to their communities; and7
WHEREAS, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and8
Corrections, division of corrections services, approximately fifteen thousand state offenders9
are released each year from Louisiana prisons; and10
WHEREAS, these people are expected to return to their communities and be law-11
abiding, productive citizens; and12
WHEREAS, unfortunately, nearly half of persons released from prison in Louisiana13
will return to prison within five years; and14
WHEREAS, getting and keeping a job are crucial to avoiding recidivism; and15
WHEREAS, while Louisiana has developed and implemented programs and services16
to better prepare offenders to return to their communities, including job skills training and17
educational programs about how to find a job, more needs to be done; and18
WHEREAS, ten states and more than fifty cities and counties have taken initiatives,19
widely known as "ban the box", that typically involve removing questions about criminal20
history from the initial job application and delaying the criminal background check until21
later in the hiring process.22 HLS 14RS-3158 ENGROSSED
HCR NO. 85
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby1
urge and request each agency in state government to develop and implement employment2
policies that remove questions about criminal history from the initial job application and3
delay any background check until later in the hiring process for unclassified positions for4
which a criminal background check is not required by law.5
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted6
to each statewide elected official and the chief executive officer of each department in the7
executive branch of state government.8
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Smith HCR No. 85
Requests each agency in state government to develop and implement employment policies
that remove questions about criminal history from the initial job application and delay any
background check until later in the hiring process for unclassified positions for which a
criminal background check is not required by law.