DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state House has approved legislation that prohibits state and local government agencies in Delaware from considering job applicants' criminal histories or credit histories during the initial application process.
Under revised legislation approved 31-to-8 on Tuesday, prospective government workers would no longer have to disclose a criminal record on a job application. The so-called "ban the box" bill would allow consideration of an applicant's criminal background only after a first interview.
The bill calls for public employers to consider the nature of the offense, the time that has passed, and the nature of the job being sought in deciding whether to disqualify an applicant based on criminal history.
The bill would not apply to police departments, the court and prison systems and positions that require criminal background checks.
