Pennsylvania State Capitol. Photo: Zack Frank/Shutterstock.com

A bipartisan duo in the state House on May 22 announced that they've teamed up to introduce legislation aimed at easing the path for ex-offenders to be licensed and certified professionals.

State Reps. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, and Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, unveiled House Bill 1477, which would ensure the boards overseeing licensure for 30 occupations are using fair, consistent methods.

Delozier said the new measure—which has attracted more than 30 co-sponsors—would be an appropriate follow-up the Clean Slate Act, which erases nonviolent offenses from criminal record of persons who go 10 years without a subsequent arrest.

“Sometimes people make stupid mistakes in their youth,” Delozier said. “Our latest initiative will ensure licensure for employment isn't a barrier to an ex-offender re-entering the workforce, unless his or her conviction is directly related to the profession.”

Harris said that the bill would strengthen the state's economy by allowing more ex-offenders to get back into the workforce.

“We simply can't continue to judge people by their worst day and hold them back from enriching their lives and the lives of others due to mistakes made in the past that have no impact on someone's ability to do a job,” Harris said.

HB 1477 “would amend the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA) to require that boards only withhold a license for convictions which are directly related to the practice of the occupation, and that the boards consider the nature of the offense, the amount of time that has passed since conviction, evidence of the applicant's fitness to practice the occupation, and other relevant factors prior to withholding a license,” according to a memo from Delozier to her colleagues.