‘Ban the Box’ Bill for Feds Approved by Senate Panel

Legislation that would bar federal agencies and contractors from asking job applicants about their criminal histories until the conditional offer stage was approved by a Senate committee Feb. 13, setting the stage for possible action by the full Senate.

The Fair Chance Act (S. 387) would apply to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, including the U.S. Postal Service. The measure would also apply to private-sector contractors for positions within the scope of federal contracts. It includes exceptions for law enforcement and national security jobs, positions requiring access to classified information, and jobs for which criminal history information before the ...