III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 149
Designating April 2025 as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL1 (legislative day, MARCH31), 2025
Ms. K
LOBUCHAR(for herself, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. MARKEY, and Mrs. CAPITO)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
RESOLUTION
Designating 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
face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in
this preamble as ‘‘collateral consequences’’);
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•SRES 149 IS
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
population and has significant difficulty acquiring admis-
sion to, and funding for, educational programs;
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•SRES 149 IS
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 some 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 of conviction 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;
Whereas the programs authorized by the Second Chance Act
of 2007 (Public Law 110–199; 122 Stat. 657)—
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•SRES 149 IS
(1) have provided reentry services to more than
442,000 individuals in 49 States and the District of Co-
lumbia since the date of enactment of the 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 Senate— 1
(1) designates April 2025 as ‘‘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
dividuals with criminal records from becoming pro-8
ductive members of society; and 9
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•SRES 149 IS
(3) calls upon the people of the United States 1
to observe Second Chance Month through actions 2
and programs that— 3
(A) promote awareness of those unneces-4
sary legal and social barriers; and 5
(B) provide closure for individuals with a 6
criminal record who have paid their debt. 7
Æ
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