Bill > B26-0185

This bill amends the District of Columbia's hiring regulations to establish two key changes: first, it creates a hiring preference for graduates of transitional employment programs like Project Empowerment, offering them a 10-point advantage when applying for District government jobs. Second, the bill introduces a more nuanced process for reviewing job applicants' criminal histories, requiring a "Relevance Screen" that carefully evaluates the connection between an applicant's past convictions and the specific job they are seeking. The bill mandates that job postings inform candidates about transitional employment program graduate preferences and requires the Department of Human Resources (DCHR) to annually update the list of eligible programs. When reviewing criminal histories, administrators must now consider factors such as the time since the offense, the applicant's age at the time, the relevance of the conviction to the job duties, and the District's policy of supporting re-entry for former offenders. The bill also requires DCHR to provide applicants an opportunity to explain or provide context for any derogatory information in their background and mandates that the position remain open during this review. Additionally, the bill introduces a requirement for DCHR to submit a confidential report to the Council reviewing hiring practices to ensure people with criminal records are not unreasonably denied employment, and defines a "returning citizen" as an individual who has been incarcerated for six months or more in the past five years.

Government Affairs

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0185