Ex-offenders in Illinois will have a better chance of gaining employment in the health industry under legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) July 31.
S.B. 1965 amends the Health Care Worker Background Check Act, streamlining the hiring and occupational licensing processes for more than 4 million Illinoisans with arrest or conviction records. The bill won unanimous support in the Senate in March. The House approved the measure by a vote of 77-35 at the end of May.
The law also permits organizations supporting ex-offenders to initiate fingerprint-based criminal history record checks for individuals with a disqualifying conviction. Previously only ...