On April 16th, 2015, New York City became the second city and 12th jurisdiction to make employers’ consideration of credit history an unlawful discriminatory practice (with limited exceptions). According to Bill 261-A, employers cannot request or use a job applicant’s or current employees credit history in making an employment decision. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Chicago have similar legislation in place. You can read more about the laws of these jurisdictions in our Legislative Updates.
The New York City Council approved Bill 261-A April 16th, 2015. It is awaiting approval by Mayor Bill DeBlasio and will go into effect 120 days after Mayoral approval.
To learn more about the impact of this credit history legislation, read our Compliance Update. Accurate Background’s Compliance Update: New York City Credit History Restrictions provides employers with answers to the following questions:
- What does the law prohibit?
- Which employers are affected?
- When does the law go into effect?
- Are there exceptions to the law?
- What are the penalties imposed under the law?
The complete statutory text of Bill 261-A is available on the New York City Council’s website.
