Hobbs: Remove barriers to prosperity

OLYMPIA – Should past credit problems prevent you from landing that dream job? Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, doesn’t think so, and he’s introduced legislation to protect consumers from the use of credit checks in the interview process.

“Credit checks should be limited to a legitimate need to know,” Hobbs said. “We should be looking for ways to give people an opportunity to prosper rather than building barriers.”

Many Americans go through difficult financial times, such as a job layoff or divorce, resulting in a bad credit rating. Under current law, an employer may choose not to hire someone based on that credit rating.

Senate Bill 5827, sponsored by Hobbs, prohibits an employer from requesting a job applicant’s credit report unless the employer is a financial institution or a public safety entity. The proposal received a hearing today in the Senate Consumer Protection & Housing Committee.

Hobbs testified that there are other ways to determine an applicant’s potential work performance, including education, experience, job skills and references.

“We Americans pride ourselves on pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps,” Hobbs said. “Let’s give these people a chance.”

SB 5827 is scheduled for executive session on Thursday, Feb. 22. The legislative session is scheduled to conclude on April 22.

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