Federal Government Policy and Business

Obama Issues New Regulation to Ease Federal Hiring of Former Criminals

Government Executive: The Obama administration will propose on Monday new regulations prohibiting federal agencies from inquiring about a job applicant’s criminal history until after a conditional offer has been made, the Office of Personnel Management announced Friday.

OPM’s proposed rule will -- with certain exceptions -- ban agencies from issuing any forms that ask about applicants’ criminal backgrounds until the potential hirers assess the candidates’ merits. The move follows a push in cities and municipalities across the country to “ban the box” -- referring to a box on job applications requiring individuals to indicate up front if they have criminal records -- as well as pressure from lawmakers and a promise from Obama himself to bring the reform to the federal government.

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