AL SB49

Prohibits the State of Alabama, its agencies, and political subdivisions from inquiring into or considering an applicant's arrest or conviction history until after the applicant receives a conditional job offer.

Prevents disqualification of individuals based solely on prior conviction unless the conviction is directly related to the position sought, with employers required to consider job duties, offense recurrence risk, and time elapsed since offense.

Restricts use of certain criminal records including arrests without conviction, sealed/dismissed/expunged convictions, and misdemeanor infractions not carrying jail sentences.

Requires employers to retain application records for three years and maintain statistics on positions requiring background checks, conditional offers issued, and applicants notified of conviction-related disqualification.

Establishes the Department of Workforce as enforcement agency with authority to investigate complaints, conduct annual audits of state hiring practices, and requires the Governor to address violations noted after October 1, 2025; effective October 1, 2025.