Illinois House passes occupational-licensing reform bill

HB 5937 prohibits the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from barring former offenders from working in these areas unless their crimes directly relate to the occupations for which they seek licenses. A job is crucial to preventing repeat offenses: Nearly half of ex-offenders in Illinois end up back behind bars within three years, but ex-offenders who are employed a year after release can have a recidivism rate as low as 16 percent.

A bill to remove occupational licensing barriers for as many as 30,000 Illinoisans each year passed the Illinois House April 21, on an 80-31 vote.

House Bill 5973, sponsored by state Rep. Marcus Evans, D-Chicago, with bipartisan co-sponsors, addresses licensing in seven fields: barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hairbraiding, nail technology, roofing, and funeral service. The bill prohibits the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation from barring former offenders from working in these areas unless their crimes directly relate to the occupations for which they seek licenses.

Currently, ex-offenders are discouraged from applying for work in many occupations, even when they have the requisite skills or training, due to the possibility of being denied licenses. But HB 5973 opens the door for more opportunity.

The bill is also a step forward in Gov. Bruce Rauner’s goal of reducing the state’s prison population by 25 percent by 2025. Eliminating barriers to work will limit the number of ex-offenders returning to prison by providing them the ability to support themselves and their families. A job is crucial to preventing repeat offenses: Nearly half of ex-offenders in Illinois end up back behind bars within three years, but ex-offenders who are employed a year after release can have a recidivism rate as low as 16 percent.

More than 100 other occupations are still affected by overly restrictive occupational-licensing rules, potentially denying anyone with a felony record – or a misdemeanor record –from entering the workforce. These must still be addressed, but HB 5973 is a significant step in the right direction.