Last year, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) penalized145 individuals due to their pre-license criminal conduct. This group included applicants for nursing, counseling, real estate, barbering, cosmetology, massage therapy, pharmacy, professional engineering, and PERC licenses.
Read MoreUntil now, licensees disciplined for (past or recent) criminal misconduct ended up with a permanent stain on their license record. This left them with fewer job prospects. As of January 1, 2018, however, discipline issued due to a criminal charge or conviction is expungeable.
Read MoreAs the Illinois General Assembly approaches its deadline for passing legislation this year, two bills are worth watching if you or someone you know has a criminal background. If passed, one bill would permit more convicted felons to seal their records, while the other bill will make it easier for someone with a criminal record to obtain a professional or occupational license.
Read MoreCurrently, several pieces of second chance legislation are being considered by the Illinois General Assembly. Specifically, the bills would benefit individuals who have a criminal background and want to work in health care or education. In March, I published an Op Ed piece in the Sun-Times, in which I urged public support for the legislation. Let's take a look at how these bills are doing.
Read MoreDid you know that certain convictions will bar you from becoming a licensed health care worker in Illinois? In 2011, the state legislature amended the licensing code to prohibit anyone from obtaining or keeping a health care worker license due to certain crimes. Those crimes include: 1) sex offenses, 2) a battery to a patient (during treatment or care), and 3) a forcible felony (or attempt to commit).
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