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City Council President Kenyatta Johnson speaks during a news conference about updates to the Fair Chance Hiring law on Thursday, Sept. 25, at City Hall. <\/p>\n
JACK TOMCZUK<\/p>\n
City Council approved legislation Thursday that is designed to strengthen regulations governing when employers can deny a job opportunity to an applicant solely based on the person\u2019s criminal record.<\/p>\n
The bill builds on the city\u2019s landmark Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards<\/a> law, also known as \u201cBan the Box,\u201d which was passed nearly 15 years ago. Philadelphia was among the first cities in the nation to prohibit private businesses from asking about an individual\u2019s criminal history during the application process.<\/p>\n Background checks can be conducted after a job is offered. Under the current version of the law, the offer can only be rescinded if the search uncovers a relevant conviction or period of incarceration over the past seven years.<\/p>\n The measure adopted Thursday,<\/a> sponsored by Councilmember Rue Landau, reduces that lookback window to four years for misdemeanor convictions.<\/p>\n Summary offenses \u2013 low-level crimes usually resolved with a citation and fine \u2013 can no longer be considered at all, which brings the city\u2019s policy in line with similar state regulations, Landau said.<\/p>\n Convictions that have been expunged or sealed sometimes show up in third-party checks or a search of state driving records. Under the new law, a prospective employee would be given the chance to show proof that the offense has been expunged or sealed before losing the job.<\/p>\n The measure also requires employers to provide notice of the law when withdrawing an offer; specifies opportunities for the jobseeker to rebut the claims; and incorporates an anti-retaliation clause for those exercising their rights under \u201cBan the Box,\u201d among other provisions.<\/p>\n One in four Philadelphians, or more than 300,000 people, have a criminal record of some kind, according to information provided by Landau\u2019s office.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThey carry the weight of a past mistake that follows them through their search for resources, for housing and for employment throughout Philadelphia,\u201d Landau said Thursday. \u201cAnd today, we are going to make this weight a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n Adele Williams said that, in her work for Why Not Prosper<\/a>, a Germantown-based organization for formerly incarcerated women, she has witnessed many individuals being let go without explanation shortly after a business received the background check results. Landau and her team said the legislation was written to close those loopholes.<\/p>\n \u201cNot having a job sometimes resorts you back to what you used to do,\u201d added Williams, who spent time behind bars herself. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to do that. We want to change.\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe did what we did. We served our time. So give us a chance to show that we\u2019re better than what we used to be.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Lawmakers passed the bill in a unanimous vote. Council President Kenyatta Johnson, during a news conference organized by Landau prior to the vote, recalled how a judge sentenced him to probation \u2013 instead of detention \u2013 following a juvenile gun charge.<\/p>\n \u201cI am the epitome of what supporting individuals who deserve a second chance looks like,\u201d he commented. \u201cHad that judge said, \u2018You know what, this person doesn\u2019t deserve a second chance,\u2019 I definitely wouldn\u2019t be standing in front of you today as a City Council president.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Thursday, the Fair Criminal Record Screen Standards statute, sometimes referred to as the Fair Chances Hiring law<\/a>, had been updated a handful of times, primarily to boost protections for formerly incarcerated residents.<\/p>\n Landau introduced the latest legislation in April, and it was amended multiple times, in collaboration with stakeholders like Community Legal Services and the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill evolved in ways that protect workers while still remaining practical for employers to implement,\u201d said Nikki Pumphrey, the chamber\u2019s vice president for talent and workforce. \u201cThat balance is what turns policy into real outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0603.jpg\")
Adele Williams, of Why Not Prosper, speaks during a news conference about updates to the Fair Chance Hiring law on Thursday, Sept. 25, at City Hall.JACK TOMCZUK<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DSC_0607.jpg\")
City Councilmember Rue Landau speaks during a news conference about updates to the Fair Chance Hiring law on Thursday, Sept. 25, at City Hall.JACK TOMCZUK<\/p>\n