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      "IN ILLINOIS, 4.1 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTS OR CONVICTIONS ON THEIR RECORD THAT COULD DIMINISH THEIR  EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES"

 

Left unchecked, overly-broad licensing requirements undermine a state's commitment to community well-being. They amount to state-sanctioned social and economic marginalization. As a result, in Illinois, people with arrest and conviction records have been legally denied access to any career opportunities that would have given them the chance to provide for themselves and families.

 

Licenses should be administered in a manner that protects public safety without reducing opportunity. This means that a license applicant's background should only be used in a licensing decision if it is relevant to the needs of the job. Public Act 1000286 will accomplish this.

 

The new law will safely reduce unnecessary and broad conviction-based occu[ational licensing barriers, It will enable people with arrest and conviction records to secure living wage employment which will reduce the high rate of recidivism people with records experience in Illinois, Your efforts, once this bill is signed into law, will open doors that have been closed far too long and help address community violence.

 

                               WHAT PUBLIC Act 100-286 does

1. It will benefit rehabilitated adults with backgrounds who are qualified and want living-wage licensed employment in a number of fields like nursing, real estate an insurance.

 

2. It will prevent agencies from using your sealed and expunged record to deny a license, It will limit the use of arrest records licensing decisions.

 

3. If you have taken positive steps in your life, it will ensure that you are not automatically disqualified from getting a license just because you have a criminal background.

 

4. It will require agencies to accept Certifications of  Rehabilitation as evidence of your rehabilitation for a lot more occu[ations.

 

5. If you get a probationary status license from Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) because of your background, the new law will let you ask IDFPR to make the probationary status confidential. This will remove a barrier to getting employment and business.

 

6. If you've spent 5 years crime-free after a felony conviction or 3 years crime-free after you were released from incarceration for this conviction, agencies consider it in your favor.

 

                         For more information contact Anthony Lowery, Director of Public Policy                          and Advocacy, Safer Foundation

                                                                       

                                                                                     anthony.lowry@saferfoundation.org

                                                                                                                      (312)431-8992