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April 29, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextSENATE RESOLUTION 700—EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF APRIL
1, 2026, THROUGH APRIL 30, 2026, AS “FAIR CHANCE JOBS MONTH”
Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Smith, Mr. Booker, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Welch) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
S. Res. 700
Whereas, in the United States—
(1) nearly 80,000,000 people have a record of arrest or
conviction;
(2) an estimated 19,000,000 people have felony convictions;
(3) nearly 13,000,000 people are charged each year with
misdemeanor offenses;
(4) more than 600,000 people are released each year from
Federal and State prisons;
(5) Black, Indigenous, and Latino people are 5, 4.2, and
2.4 times more likely than White people to be incarcerated,
respectively, and also face higher rates of arrest; and
(6) LGBTQ+ individuals are 3 times more likely to be
incarcerated and also face higher rates of arrest;
Whereas people who have been convicted of a crime and
served their sentence continue to face consequences after
release due to systemic biases and stigmas against formerly
incarcerated individuals;
Whereas recidivism rates in the United States are among the
highest in the world, with almost 44 percent of people who
are released returning to incarceration within 1 year;
Whereas, in the United States, nearly \2/3\ of the formerly
incarcerated population is jobless at any given time;
Whereas, in the United States, nearly 14,000 laws and
regulations and 48,000 collateral consequences restrict
formerly incarcerated individuals from getting professional
licenses needed to work in some jobs;
Whereas 20 States and the District of Columbia allow
occupational licensing boards to categorically reject
applicants with prior convictions;
Whereas obstacles to employment, such as difficulty
obtaining identification needed for employment, add undue
burdens on returning citizens and formerly incarcerated
individuals;
Whereas formerly incarcerated individuals earn nearly $100
less per week than the average worker;
Whereas fair-chance employers can leverage financial
incentives, such as the work opportunity tax credit, to
benefit from hiring formerly incarcerated individuals;
Whereas employing returning citizens and formerly
incarcerated individuals will result in a robust, vibrant,
diverse, and resilient workforce;
Whereas having jobs that pay living wages, are conducive to
health, provide opportunities for skillset development,
provide opportunities for promotion, and provide benefits
will facilitate stable employment and reduce recidivism;
Whereas returning citizens who have received vocational
training while incarcerated are 28 percent more likely to
obtain employment within 1 year of reentry into society than
those lacking such training; and
Whereas, in addition to employment insecurity, returning
citizens and formerly incarcerated people face numerous other
obstacles to reentry and societal reintegration, including—
(1) housing insecurity and homelessness rates that are 10
times higher than the general public;
(2) near total restrictions in 12 States on access to
temporary assistance for needy families established under
part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601
et seq.) or the supplemental nutrition assistance program
established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7
U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); and
(3) greater prevalence of chronic health conditions, lower
quality and coverage of health insurance, and mortality rates
that are 13 times higher than the general public: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) expresses support for the designation of April 1, 2026,
through April 30, 2026, as “Fair Chance Jobs Month”; and
(2) supports efforts to—
(A) ensure that people directly impacted by incarceration
obtain stable and high-quality employment, housing,
healthcare, and nutrition;
(B) dismantle structural barriers to fair-chance hiring and
employment, such as licensing restrictions, employer
liability, and insurance restrictions;
(C) expand workforce development programs for returning
citizens, formerly incarcerated individuals, and others
directly impacted by incarceration, including—
(i) pre-apprenticeship programs;
(ii) registered apprenticeship programs;
(iii) career coaching, resume-building, technology
literacy, and other skillset development programs; and
(iv) programs that educate employers on best practices for,
and the benefits of, fair-chance hiring;
(D) match jobs providers with returning citizens and
formerly incarcerated individuals seeking jobs;
(E) support efforts from labor unions and worker
organizations to engage returning citizens and formerly
incarcerated individuals who are seeking jobs;
(F) publicize work opportunities that are open to
applicants with prior arrest or conviction records; and
(G) foster greater collaboration and dialogue between
Federal, State, and local government agencies, community-
based organizations, advocacy groups, employers, labor
unions, currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, and
others directly impacted by incarceration to enhance fair-
chance hiring and employment and help to heal communities
impacted by mass incarceration.