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HB123 • 2026

AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
G. Brown Jr.
Last action
2026-01-14
Official status
01/14/26: to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

What This Bill Does

  • AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-14 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    to Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H)

  2. 2026-01-07 Kentucky Legislative Research Commission

    introduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)

Official Summary Text

AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 213
Page 1 of 2
XXXX 12/2/2025 12:07 PM Jacketed
AN ACT relating to criminal histories of job applicants. 1
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS 344.030 TO 344.110 IS CREATED 3
TO READ AS FOLLOWS: 4
(1) The General Assembly finds and declares that it is imperative to remove obstacles 5
and barriers to employment for persons with past criminal records. Persons wit h 6
past criminal records should not be discriminated against and prevented from 7
engaging in meaningful and profitable employment opportunities that will assist 8
them in resuming the responsibilities of citizenship. 9
(2) It is an unlawful practice for an emplo yer to consider or require disclosure of the 10
criminal record or criminal history, including past felony or misdemeanor 11
convictions and pending felony and misdemeanor charges, of an applicant for 12
employment: 13
(a) Until the applicant has been selected for an interview by the employer; or 14
(b) If there is not an interview, before a conditional offer of employment is 15
made to the applicant. 16
(3) An employer may ask an applicant for information about criminal history at the 17
first interview or thereafter, in accordance with all applicable state and federal 18
laws. 19
(4) This section does not apply to: 20
(a) Any law enforcement agency position; 21
(b) Any position requiring a criminal background check pursuant to federal or 22
state law, rules, regulations, or case law, or a self -regulatory organization 23
as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 15 U.S.C. sec. 24
78c(a)(26); 25
(c) Any position in which an appl icant with a criminal background is 26
disqualified from employment pursuant to federal or state law; or 27
UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 213
Page 2 of 2
XXXX 12/2/2025 12:07 PM Jacketed
(d) Any position in which the applicant would be required to obtain a standard 1
fidelity bond or an equivalent bond, but would be disqualified from 2
obtaining such a bond due to a criminal conviction. 3
(5) This section does not prohibit an employer from notifying applicants that current 4
law or the employer's policy will disqualify an individual with a particular 5
criminal history background from employment in particular positions. 6
Section 2. This Act may be cited as the Ban the Box - The Criminal Record 7
Employment Discrimination Act. 8