by Jack Tomczuk - Metro Philadelphia

City Council approved legislation Thursday that is designed to strengthen regulations governing when employers can deny a job opportunity to an applicant solely based on the person’s criminal record.

The bill builds on the city’s landmark Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards law, also known as “Ban the Box,” which was passed nearly 15 years ago. Philadelphia was among the first cities in the nation to prohibit private businesses from asking about an individual’s criminal history during the application process.