After Banning the Box, D.C. Council Looks at Prohibiting Credit Checks During Hiring Process

After banning the box last year, the D.C. Council will consider a bill that would prohibit employers from checking an applicant’s credit history during most of the hiring process.

Introduced by Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, the Fair Credit History Screening Act of 2015 would allow employers to run a credit check on an applicant only after a conditional offer of employment is made. Credit screening during the job application process negatively impacts about one out of tenprospective employees nationwide, according to a study by policy think tank Demos.

“[Being judged by credit history] places burden on folks who need employment the most, especially when it has nothing to do with job at hand,” McDuffie said while introducing the bill in early June.

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