House Bill 3025 was signed on June 25th, making
Oregon the 18th state to ban the box. Ban the Box legislation
originally referred to removing the check-box on an application that required applicants to indicate if they have a history of criminal convictions. Most of
the new bills referred to as ban the box legislation have stipulations beyond
the exclusion of a check-box on the application.
HB 3025, continuing the trend sweeping the United States,
goes a step further by prohibiting employers from demanding the disclosure of
criminal convictions prior to an initial interview. The bill applies to all
employers in Oregon outside of a few exceptions and will take effect in January
2016. Exceptions include employers that are a part of the criminal justice
system, law enforcement agencies, and employers seeking non-employee volunteers.
You can view the bill in its entirety here.
For an up-to-date look at ban the box legislation and how it
will affect your business, go to NELP.org
