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1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Best
5Candidate for the Job Act.
 
6    Section 5. Purpose. This Act is intended to ensure that
7public agencies and private employers properly consider
8persons previously convicted of one or more criminal offenses
9for employment and licenses.
 
10    Section 10. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act, the
11following terms shall have the following meanings:
12    "Direct relationship" means that the nature of criminal
13conduct for which the person was convicted has a direct bearing
14on his or her fitness or ability to perform one or more of the
15duties or responsibilities necessarily related to the license,
16opportunity, or job in question.
17    "Employment" means any occupation, vocation, or
18employment, or any form of vocational or educational training.
19"Employment" does not, for the purposes of this Act, however,
20include membership in any law enforcement agency.
21    "License" means any certificate, license, permit, or grant
22of permission required by the laws of this State, its political

 

 

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1subdivisions or instrumentalities as a condition for the lawful
2practice of any occupation, employment, trade, vocation,
3business, or profession.
4    "Private employer" means any person, company, corporation,
5labor organization, or association that employs one or more
6persons.
7    "Public agency" means the State or any local subdivision
8thereof, or any State or local department, agency, board or
9commission.
 
10    Section 15. Applicability. This Act applies to any person
11who applies for a license or employment at any public or
12private employer or who is currently employed or in possession
13of a license who has previously been convicted of one or more
14criminal offenses in any jurisdiction or whose conviction of
15one or more criminal offenses in any jurisdiction preceded such
16employment or granting of a license, except when a mandatory
17forfeiture, disability, or bar to employment is imposed by law
18and has not been removed by an executive pardon, certificate of
19relief from disabilities, or certificate of good conduct.
20Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect any right an
21employer may have with respect to an intentional
22misrepresentation in connection with an application for
23employment made by a prospective employee or previously made by
24a current employee.
 

 

 

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1    Section 20. Discrimination against persons previously
2convicted of one or more criminal offenses prohibited. No
3application for any license or employment and no employment or
4license held by an individual, to which the provisions of this
5Act are applicable, shall be denied or acted upon adversely by
6reason of the individual's having been previously convicted of
7one or more criminal offenses or by reason of a finding of lack
8of "good moral character" when such finding is based upon the
9fact that the individual has previously been convicted of one
10or more criminal offenses, unless, after carefully considering
11the factors specified in Section 25, the employer or licensing
12agency determines that:
13        (1) there is a direct relationship between one or more
14    of the previous criminal offenses and the specific license
15    or employment sought or held by the individual; and
16        (2) the issuance or continuation of the license or the
17    granting or continuation of the employment would involve a
18    substantial risk to property or to the safety or welfare of
19    specific individuals or the general public.
 
20    Section 25. Factors to be considered concerning a previous
21criminal conviction.
22    (a) In making a determination pursuant to Section 20, the
23public agency or private employer shall consider the following
24factors:
25        (1) The public policy of this State to encourage the

 

 

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1    licensure and employment of persons previously convicted
2    of one or more criminal offenses.
3        (2) The specific duties and responsibilities
4    necessarily related to the license or employment sought or
5    held by the person.
6        (3) The bearing, if any, the criminal offense or
7    offenses for which the person was previously convicted will
8    have on his or her fitness or ability to perform one or
9    more of the duties or responsibilities necessarily related
10    to the license, job, or opportunity in question.
11        (4) Any evidence demonstrating the ability of the
12    applicant or employee to perform the responsibilities of
13    the license, job, or opportunity in question.
14        (5) The time that has elapsed since the occurrence of
15    the criminal offense or offenses.
16        (6) The age of the person at the time of occurrence of
17    the criminal offense or offenses.
18        (7) The seriousness of the offense or offenses.
19        (8) The circumstances surrounding the offense or
20    offenses.
21        (9) Any information produced by the person, or produced
22    on the person's behalf, in regard to the person's
23    rehabilitation and good conduct.
24        (10) The legitimate interest of the public agency or
25    private employer in protecting property, and the safety and
26    welfare of specific individuals or the general public.

 

 

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1    (b) In making a determination pursuant to Section 20, the
2public agency or private employer shall also give consideration
3to a certificate of relief from disabilities or a certificate
4of good conduct issued to the applicant, which certificate
5shall create a presumption of rehabilitation in regard to the
6offense or offenses specified therein.
 
7    Section 35. Retaliatory or discriminatory acts. A person
8shall not retaliate or discriminate against a person because
9the person has done or was about to do any of the following:
10        (1) File a complaint under this Act.
11        (2) Testify, assist, or participate in an
12    investigation, proceeding, or action concerning a
13    violation of this Act.
14        (3) Oppose a violation of this Act.
 
15    Section 40. Waiver. An employer shall not require an
16applicant or employee to waive any right under this Act. An
17agreement by an applicant or employee to waive any right under
18this Act is invalid and unenforceable.
 
19    Section 45. Remedies.
20    (a) A person who is injured by a violation of this Act may
21bring a civil action in circuit court to obtain injunctive
22relief or damages, or both.
23    (b) The court shall award costs, reasonable litigation

 

 

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1expenses, and reasonable attorney's fees to a person who
2prevails as a plaintiff in an action authorized under
3subsection (a) of this Section.