[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 66 (Tuesday, April 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 644--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF APRIL 
     1, 2024, THROUGH APRIL 30, 2024, AS ``FAIR CHANCE JOBS MONTH''

  Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Butler, Ms. Duckworth, 
Mr. Durbin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Welch) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 644

       Whereas, in the United States--
       (1) nearly 80,000,000 people have a record of arrest or 
     conviction;
       (2) an estimated 19,000,000 people have felony convictions;
       (3) nearly 13,000,000 people are charged each year with 
     misdemeanor offenses;
       (4) 600,000 people are released each year from Federal and 
     State prisons;
       (5) Black, Indigenous, and Latino people are 5, 4.2, and 
     2.4 times more likely than White people to be incarcerated, 
     respectively, and also face higher rates of arrest; and
       (6) LGBTQ+ individuals are 3 times more likely to be 
     incarcerated and also face higher rates of arrest;
       Whereas people who have been convicted of a crime and 
     served their sentence continue to face consequences after 
     release due to systemic biases and stigmas against formerly 
     incarcerated individuals;
       Whereas recidivism rates in the United States are among the 
     highest in the world, with almost 44 percent of people who 
     are released returning to incarceration within 1 year;
       Whereas, in the United States, nearly \2/3\ of the formerly 
     incarcerated population is jobless at any given time;
       Whereas, in the United States, nearly 14,000 laws and 
     regulations and 48,000 collateral consequences restrict 
     formerly incarcerated individuals from getting professional 
     licenses needed to work in some jobs;
       Whereas 20 States and the District of Columbia allow 
     occupational licensing boards to categorically reject 
     applicants with prior convictions;
       Whereas obstacles to employment, such as difficulty 
     obtaining identification needed for employment, add undue 
     burdens on returning citizens and formerly incarcerated 
     individuals;
       Whereas formerly incarcerated individuals earn nearly $100 
     less per week than the average worker;
       Whereas fair-chance employers can leverage financial 
     incentives, such as the work opportunity tax credit, to 
     benefit from hiring formerly incarcerated individuals;
       Whereas employing returning citizens and formerly 
     incarcerated individuals will result in a robust, vibrant, 
     diverse, and resilient workforce;
       Whereas having jobs that pay living wages, are conducive to 
     health, provide opportunities for skillset development, 
     provide opportunities for promotion, and provide benefits 
     will facilitate stable employment and reduce recidivism;
       Whereas returning citizens who have received vocational 
     training while incarcerated are 28 percent more likely to 
     obtain employment within 1 year of reentry into society than 
     those lacking such training; and
       Whereas, in addition to employment insecurity, returning 
     citizens and formerly incarcerated people face numerous other 
     obstacles to reentry and societal reintegration, including--
       (1) housing insecurity and homelessness rates that are 10 
     times higher than the general public;
       (2) near total restrictions in 12 States on access to 
     temporary assistance for needy families established under 
     part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 
     et seq.) or the supplemental nutrition assistance program 
     established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 
     U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); and
       (3) greater prevalence of chronic health conditions, lower 
     quality and coverage of health insurance, and mortality rates 
     that are 13 times higher than the general public: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses support for the designation of April 1, 2024, 
     through April 30, 2024, as ``Fair Chance Jobs Month''; and
       (2) supports efforts to--
       (A) ensure that people directly impacted by incarceration 
     obtain stable and high-quality employment, housing, 
     healthcare, and nutrition;
       (B) dismantle structural barriers to fair-chance hiring and 
     employment, such as licensing restrictions, employer 
     liability, and insurance restrictions;
       (C) expand workforce development programs for returning 
     citizens, formerly incarcerated individuals, and others 
     directly impacted by incarceration, including--
       (i) pre-apprenticeship programs;
       (ii) registered apprenticeship programs;
       (iii) career coaching, resume-building, technology 
     literacy, and other skillset development programs; and
       (iv) programs that educate employers on best practices for, 
     and the benefits of, fair-chance hiring;
       (D) match jobs providers with returning citizens and 
     formerly incarcerated individuals seeking jobs;
       (E) support efforts from labor unions and worker 
     organizations to engage returning citizens and formerly 
     incarcerated individuals who are seeking jobs;
       (F) publicize work opportunities that are open to 
     applicants with prior arrest or conviction records; and
       (G) foster greater collaboration and dialogue between 
     Federal, State, and local government agencies, community-
     based organizations, advocacy groups, employers, labor 
     unions, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and 
     others directly impacted by incarceration to enhance fair-
     chance hiring and employment and help to heal communities 
     impacted by mass incarceration.

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