Cardinale Measure Removing Barriers to Employment Passes Senate

Senator Gerald Cardinale’s legislation to help break down barriers to employment has passed the New Jersey Senate.

“A mistake should not make or break an individual’s job prospects for the rest of their working life,” said Cardinale (R-39). “Opening the door to those who otherwise wouldn’t have a job in their preferred field is a transformative opportunity. Ensuring more New Jerseyans have access to meaningful employment and stable income will help many lead a more purposeful life and strengthen our workforce overall.”

Cardinale’s bipartisan legislation, S-942, would require certain professional and occupational regulatory entities, when determining whether a person is disqualified from certification, registration, or licensure because of a prior conviction of a crime, to consider whether the offense has a substantial relationship to the activity regulated by the entity, or is of a nature such that certification, registration, or licensure of the person would be inconsistent with the public’s health, safety, or welfare.

Under current law, a person may be denied a professional certification, registration, or license because of a prior conviction, even if the conviction has no relationship to the regulated profession, and regardless of how much time has passed since the conviction occurred.

“Finding and keeping a job after turning one’s life around is a success story we should advocate for and promote,” added Cardinale. “Removing the obstacles that an individual with a criminal record may face when seeking meaningful employment will allow that person to more easily become or remain a productive member of society.”