WHAT: Press conference to announce introduction of Senate Bill 637, bipartisan legislation intended to remove employment barriers for ex-offenders.
WHY: State occupational licensure boards should apply a fair and consistent approach when considering whether to deny, suspend, or revoke a job license on the basis of a criminal conviction. Licensure boards will be limited to considering only convictions which are directly related to the occupation and must consider remediating factors.
The legislation also provides individuals with a preliminary ruling from licensure boards to determine whether their criminal history poses a barrier to licensure prior to pursuing a training program.
WHO: Prime Sponsors – Senators John DiSanto (Dauphin/Perry) and Judy Schwank (Berks)
Representatives Sheryl Delozier (Cumberland) and Jordan Harris (Philadelphia)
Representatives from the Greater Harrisburg NAACP, the PA Chamber of Commerce, the Justice Action Network, Commonwealth Foundation, Community Legal Services, and Americans for Prosperity.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 22 at 10:00 AM
WHERE: PA CareerLink Capitol Region, 100 N. Cameron Street, Harrisburg. On-site parking is available.
CONTACT: Jonathan Humma jhumma@pasen.gov (717) 787-6801