Demand for privacy and fair hiring practices prompted federal regulators to create guidelines for screening and background investigations, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Recruiting trends highlighted the many organizations coming under fire in the news for improper screening practices, and forecasted increased litigation for companies failing to comply with FCRA regulations in the future.

NAPBS submitted comments in response to proposed ban the box ordinance in Austin, Texas. The comments pertained to the requirement to notify an applicant in writing if the adverse action decision is based on the criminal history.

All across the country, cities and states have begun a move towards policies that remove the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?” from job applications. Many of these policies forbid employers from even asking individuals about previous criminal convictions until a conditional offer of employment has been made. This growing legislation is what we call the Ban the Box movement.

While landlords use tenant screening processes to find responsible renters, they need to make sure biases don't stop them from providing homes to needy people. It's for this reason the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development recently released guidelines for staying in compliance with the Fair Housing Act when it comes time to use criminal histories in background investigations.