IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 289
Expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as ‘‘Second Chance
Month’’.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL1, 2025
Mr. W
ESTERMAN(for himself, Mr. MOOREof Alabama, Mr. BACON, Mrs.
M
ILLERof West Virginia, Mr. DAVISof Illinois, Mrs. MCBATH, and Ms.
W
ILSONof Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as
‘‘Second Chance Month’’.
Whereas every individual is endowed with human dignity and
value;
Whereas redemption and second chances are values of the
United States;
Whereas millions of citizens of the United States have a
criminal record;
Whereas hundreds of thousands of individuals return to their
communities from Federal and State prisons every year;
Whereas individuals returning from Federal and State pris-
ons have paid their debt for committing crimes but still
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•HRES 289 IH
face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in
this preamble as ‘‘collateral consequences’’);
Whereas collateral consequences for an individual returning
from a Federal or State prison are mandatory and take
effect automatically, regardless of—
(1) whether there is a nexus between the crime and
public safety;
(2) the seriousness of the crime;
(3) the time that has passed since the individual
committed the crime; or
(4) the efforts of the individual to make amends or
earn back the trust of the public;
Whereas, for individuals returning to their communities from
Federal and State prisons, gaining meaningful employ-
ment is one of the most significant predictors of success-
ful reentry and has been shown to reduce future criminal
activity;
Whereas many individuals who have been incarcerated strug-
gle to find employment and access capital to start a small
business because of collateral consequences, which are
sometimes not directly related to the offenses the individ-
uals committed or any proven public safety benefit;
Whereas many States have laws that prohibit an individual
with a criminal record from working in certain industries
or obtaining professional licenses;
Whereas, in addition to employment, education has also been
shown to be a significant predictor of successful reentry
for individuals returning from Federal and State prisons;
Whereas an individual with a criminal record often has a
lower level of educational attainment than the general
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•HRES 289 IH
population and has significant difficulty acquiring admis-
sion to, and funding for, educational programs;
Whereas an individual who has been convicted of certain
crimes is often barred from receiving the financial aid
necessary to acquire additional skills and knowledge
through certain formal educational programs;
Whereas an individual with a criminal record—
(1) faces collateral consequences in securing a place
to live; and
(2) is often barred from seeking access to public
housing;
Whereas collateral consequences can prevent millions of indi-
viduals in the United States from contributing fully to
their families and communities;
Whereas collateral consequences can have an impact on pub-
lic safety by contributing to recidivism;
Whereas collateral consequences have particularly impacted
underserved communities of color and community rates of
employment, housing stability, and recidivism;
Whereas the inability to find gainful employment and other
collateral consequences inhibit the economic mobility of
an individual with a criminal record, which can negatively
impact the well-being of the children and families of the
individual for generations;
Whereas the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law
115–391; 132 Stat. 5194) was signed into law on Decem-
ber 21, 2018, to increase opportunities for individuals in-
carcerated in Federal prisons to participate in meaningful
recidivism reduction programs and prepare for their sec-
ond chances;
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•HRES 289 IH
Whereas the programs authorized by the Second Chance Act
of 2007 (Public Law 110–199; 122 Stat. 657)—
(1) have provided reentry services to more than
442,000 individuals in 49 States and the District of Co-
lumbia since the date of the enactment of such Act; and
(2) were reauthorized by the First Step Act of 2018
(Public Law 115–391; 132 Stat. 5194);
Whereas the anniversary of the death of Charles Colson, who
used his second chance following his incarceration for a
Watergate-related crime to found Prison Fellowship, the
largest program in the United States that provides out-
reach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families,
falls on April 21; and
Whereas the designation of April as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’
may contribute to—
(1) increased public awareness about—
(A) the impact of collateral consequences; and
(B) the need for closure for individuals with a
criminal record who have paid their debt; and
(2) opportunities for individuals, employers, con-
gregations, and communities to extend second chances to
those individuals: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) supports the designation of ‘‘Second Chance 2
Month’’; 3
(2) honors the work of communities, govern-4
mental institutions, nonprofit organizations, con-5
gregations, employers, and individuals to remove un-6
necessary legal and societal barriers that prevent in-7
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•HRES 289 IH
dividuals with criminal records from becoming pro-1
ductive members of society; and 2
(3) calls upon the people of the United States 3
to observe ‘‘Second Chance Month’’ through actions 4
and programs that— 5
(A) promote awareness of those unneces-6
sary legal and social barriers; and 7
(B) provide closure for individuals with a 8
criminal record who have paid their debt. 9
Æ
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