"Ban-the-Box Act"; create to prohibit public employers from using criminal history as a bar to employment.

HB 34, the "Ban-the-Box Act," prohibits Mississippi's public employers (including state agencies, universities, hospitals, and government institutions) from asking about an applicant's criminal history before an interview. It requires public employers to delay background checks until after an interview and consider factors like the nature of the offense, time elapsed, and relevance to the job before making hiring decisions. The bill also bans disqualification based on unconvicted arrests and mandates that applicants be informed of adverse decisions based on background checks, with an opportunity to correct errors. The bill died in committee on February 4, 2025, and was never enacted.