Minnesota Session Laws - 2013, Regular Session

CHAPTER 61--S.F.No. 523

An act

relating to employment; limiting reliance on criminal history for employment purposes; providing for remedies;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 181.53; 181.981, subdivision 1; 364.021; 364.06; 364.09; 364.10.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 181.53, is amended to read:

181.53 CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO EMPLOYMENT NOT REQUIRED.

No person, whether acting directly or through an agent, or as the agent or employee of another, shall require as a condition precedent to employment any written statement as to the participation of the applicant in a strike, or as to a personal record, deleted text begin save as to conviction of a public offense, deleted text end for more than one year immediately preceding the date of application deleted text begin therefor deleted text end ; nor shall any person, acting in any of deleted text begin the aforesaid deleted text end new text begin these new text end capacities, use or require blanks or forms of application for employment in contravention of this section. new text begin Nothing in this section precludes an employer from requesting or considering an applicant's criminal history pursuant to section 364.021 or other applicable law. new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 181.981, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Limitation on admissibility of criminal history.

Information regarding a criminal history record of an employee or former employee may not be introduced as evidence in a civil action against a private employer or its employees or agents that is based on the conduct of the employee or former employee, if:

(1) the duties of the position of employment did not expose others to a greater degree of risk than that created by the employee or former employee interacting with the public outside of the duties of the position or that might be created by being employed in general;

(2) before the occurrence of the act giving rise to the civil action, a court order sealed any record of the criminal case or the employee or former employee received a pardon; deleted text begin or deleted text end

(3) the record is of an arrest or charge that did not result in a criminal conviction new text begin ; or new text end

new text begin (4) the action is based solely upon the employer's compliance with section 364.021 new text end .

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 364.021, is amended to read:

364.021 PUBLIC new text begin AND PRIVATE new text end EMPLOYMENT; CONSIDERATION OF CRIMINAL RECORDS.

(a) A public new text begin or private new text end employer may not inquire into or consider new text begin or require disclosure of new text end the criminal record or criminal history of an applicant for deleted text begin public deleted text end employment until the applicant has been selected for an interview by the employer new text begin or, if there is not an interview, before a conditional offer of employment is made to the applicant new text end .

(b) This section does not apply to the Department of Corrections or to deleted text begin public deleted text end employers who have a statutory duty to conduct a criminal history background check or otherwise take into consideration a potential employee's criminal history during the hiring process.

(c) This section does not prohibit deleted text begin a public deleted text end new text begin an new text end employer from notifying applicants that law or the employer's policy will disqualify an individual with a particular criminal history background from employment in particular positions.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 364.06, is amended to read:

364.06 VIOLATIONS deleted text begin , deleted text end new text begin ; new text end PROCEDURE new text begin ; REMEDIES new text end .

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Public employers. new text end

Any complaints or grievances concerning violations of sections 364.01 to 364.10 new text begin by public employers new text end shall be processed and adjudicated in accordance with the procedures set forth in chapter 14, the Administrative Procedure Act.

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Private employers. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human rights shall investigate violations of section 364.021 by a private employer. If the commissioner finds that a violation has occurred, the commissioner may impose penalties as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c). new text end

new text begin (b) For violations that occur before January 1, 2015, the penalties are as follows: new text end

new text begin (1) for the first violation, the commissioner shall issue a written warning to the employer that includes a notice regarding the penalties for subsequent violations; new text end

new text begin (2) if a first violation is not remedied within 30 days of the issuance of a warning under clause (1), the commissioner may impose up to a $500 fine; and new text end

new text begin (3) subsequent violations before January 1, 2015, are subject to a fine of up to $500 per violation, not to exceed $500 in a calendar month. new text end

new text begin (c) For violations that occur after December 31, 2014, the penalties are as follows: new text end

new text begin (1) for employers that employ ten or fewer persons at a site in this state, the penalty is up to $100 for each violation, not to exceed $100 in a calendar month; new text end

new text begin (2) for employers that employ 11 to 20 persons at a site in this state, the penalty is up to $500 for each violation, not to exceed $500 in a calendar month; and new text end

new text begin (3) for employers that employ more than 20 persons at one or more sites in this state, the penalty is up to $500 for each violation, not to exceed $2,000 in a calendar month. new text end

new text begin (d) The remedies under this subdivision are exclusive. A private employer is not otherwise liable for complying with or failing to comply with section 364.021. new text end

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 364.09, is amended to read:

364.09 EXCEPTIONS.

(a) This chapter does not apply to the licensing process for peace officers; to law enforcement agencies as defined in section 626.84, subdivision 1, paragraph (f); to fire protection agencies; to eligibility for a private detective or protective agent license; to the licensing and background study process under chapters 245A and 245C; to eligibility for school bus driver endorsements; to eligibility for special transportation service endorsements; to eligibility for a commercial driver training instructor license, which is governed by section 171.35 and rules adopted under that section; to emergency medical services personnel, or to the licensing by political subdivisions of taxicab drivers, if the applicant for the license has been discharged from sentence for a conviction within the ten years immediately preceding application of a violation of any of the following:

(1) sections 609.185 to 609.21, 609.221 to 609.223, 609.342 to 609.3451, or 617.23, subdivision 2 or 3;

(2) any provision of chapter 152 that is punishable by a maximum sentence of 15 years or more; or

(3) a violation of chapter 169 or 169A involving driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, or reckless or careless driving.

This chapter also shall not apply to eligibility for juvenile corrections employment, where the offense involved child physical or sexual abuse or criminal sexual conduct.

(b) This chapter does not apply to a school district or to eligibility for a license issued or renewed by the Board of Teaching or the commissioner of education.

(c) Nothing in this section precludes the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Training Board or the state fire marshal from recommending policies set forth in this chapter to the attorney general for adoption in the attorney general's discretion to apply to law enforcement or fire protection agencies.

(d) This chapter does not apply to a license to practice medicine that has been denied or revoked by the Board of Medical Practice pursuant to section 147.091, subdivision 1a.

(e) This chapter does not apply to any person who has been denied a license to practice chiropractic or whose license to practice chiropractic has been revoked by the board in accordance with section 148.10, subdivision 7.

new text begin (f) This chapter does not supersede a requirement under law to conduct a criminal history background investigation or consider criminal history records in hiring for particular types of employment. new text end

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 364.10, is amended to read:

364.10 VIOLATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS.

Violation of the rights established in sections 364.01 to 364.10 new text begin by a public employer new text end shall constitute a violation of a person's civil rights.

Sec. 7.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This act is effective January 1, 2014. new text end

Presented to the governor May 9, 2013

Signed by the governor May 13, 2013, 3:05 p.m.