BATON ROUGE (AP) — State agencies would be prohibited from asking job applicants about their criminal histories before interviewing them for a position, under a bill that has received final legislative passage.
A 30-6 Senate vote Wednesday sent the "ban the box" bill to Gov. John Bel Edwards, who supports it and is expected to sign it into law.
Supporters describe the measure, which received bipartisan support, as trying to help former inmates get jobs, to reduce recidivism and lessen prison costs. And they stressed that state agencies could ask about criminal history in interviews with potential workers.
The bill by Baton Rouge Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, a Democrat, applies to the state's politically appointed "unclassified" employees and not rank-and-file "classified" state workers subject to Louisiana's civil service system.
For more information about House Bill 266 click here.
