ARIZONA LEGISLATURE PASSES BIPARTISAN RESTORATIVE WORKFORCE ID BILL TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT AND LESSEN THE WORKER SHORTAGE

Now Headed to Governor’s Desk, Senate Bill 1290 Requires Arizona Department of Corrections to Provide Returning Citizens With IDs, Birth Certificates, and Social Security Cards To Better Obtain Jobs Post-Release

(Phoenix, AZ) – Today, Senate Bill 1290 passed the Arizona House by a margin of 57-0, representing a major step forward for reducing barriers to employment for those exiting prisons and making it easier for employers to hire qualified workers in the state of Arizona. Sponsored by Senator Steve Kaiser (R-2), the bill previously passed the Senate with a unanimous 29-0 vote.

If signed into law, the bill would require the Department of Corrections to ensure all inmates who intend to reside in Arizona after they are released from prison and are also U.S. citizens have basic and important documents that are required for employment, such as a state-issued ID card or driver’s license, if they are eligible, a certified copy of their birth certificate, a social security card, and more. 

This bill will reduce barriers for employers to hire qualified individuals for their crucially needed positions, and better connect individuals leaving prison with the opportunity to get to work after they’ve turned their lives around. It is a win for employers, for people leaving prison, and will save taxpayer dollars in the form of reduced recidivism.

“This is a popular, bipartisan bill that will reduce unnecessary barriers to employment for those leaving prison, which will improve Arizona’s economy and reduce recidivism rates,” said Lauren Krisai, Deputy Director of the Justice Action Network. “Those exiting prisons who have turned their lives around are a crucial and untapped workforce in Arizona. We want to thank both the sponsor of this bill, Senator Kaiser, as well as Representative Wilmeth for their leadership on this important piece of restorative workforce legislation. This bill moves Arizona in the right direction when it comes to creating better outcomes for those who have dedicated themselves to a second chance, and employers who want to hire them. We look forward to Governor Hobbs signing this bill into law.”