Part of a growing national trend of “Ban the Box” laws, the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2019 (Act) will prohibit employers with federal contracts from requesting criminal history information from candidates at the onset of the hiring process. Specifically, the Act prohibits private employers that contract with the federal government from requesting criminal history information, including arrests and convictions, until after the conditional offer stage. Although the Act does not take effect until December 2021, employers that contract with the federal government should consider revising their employment applications to remove questions about criminal history.
