Bill > S2451

This bill aims to increase opportunities for employment in professional licensure. The key provisions are: 1. It establishes that licensing authorities cannot automatically bar individuals from professional or occupational licenses due to a criminal record. Instead, they must consider the individual's circumstances and determine if the criminal record is directly related to the duties of the profession and if the public interest outweighs the individual's right to hold the license. 2. It requires licensing authorities to consider various factors, such as the age of the offense, rehabilitation efforts, and other mitigating circumstances, when evaluating an individual's criminal record. 3. It allows individuals to petition a licensing authority at any time to determine if their criminal record would disqualify them from a license, and the authority must provide a written decision within a specified timeframe. 4. It prohibits licensing authorities from using vague terms like "good moral character" or "moral turpitude" when considering an individual's criminal record. 5. It creates a commission to provide recommendations on background record requirements for professional and occupational licenses. 6. It amends various sections of the law to align with the new provisions, removing the "good moral character" requirement for certain licenses and replacing it with a focus on whether the criminal record is directly related to the duties of the profession. The overall goal is to reduce barriers to professional licensure for individuals with criminal records, while still allowing licensing authorities to consider public safety concerns, by establishing a more standardized and transparent process.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S2451