Public contracts: bidders: employment practices.

The State Contract Act prescribes the procedures and requirements applicable to various state agency contracts. Existing law governs contracts between state agencies and private contractors, and sets forth requirements for the procurement of materials, supplies, equipment, and services, and the acquisition of information technology goods and services by state agencies. This bill would prohibit the state from contracting with a person or entity that asks an applicant for employment to disclose, orally or in writing, information concerning the conviction history of the applicant, including an inquiry about conviction history on an employment application, until the employer has determined that the applicant meets the minimum employment qualifications, as stated in any notice issued for the position. The bill would not apply to a position for which an employer is otherwise required by state or federal law to conduct a conviction or criminal history background check or to any contract position with a criminal justice agency, as specified. The bill would also express a legislative finding and declaration that reducing barriers to employment for people who have previously offended, and decreasing unemployment in communities with concentrated numbers of people who have previously offended, is a matter of statewide concern.