New Jersey Governor Christie Signs ‘Ban the Box’ Legislation
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed into law The Opportunity to Compete Act, otherwise known as the “Ban the Box” bill. This legislation will restrict employers from inquiring about an applicant’s criminal background during the initial stages of the application process. The law will take effect on March 1, 2015, the first day of the seventh month following the signing date.
The New Jersey State Legislature passed the re-introduced bill in June. This version of the legislation (A1999), however, says the National Law Review, does not include certain procedural hurdles employers would have been required to satisfy under prior versions of the bill that failed to garner sufficient support for passage.