H.B. 527 Summary

• Prohibits employers with 15+ employees from requesting social security numbers, dates of birth, or driver's license numbers from job applicants before making an offer of employment, with limited exceptions for background checks, credit reports, driving records, and internal employment history reviews.

• Requires employers to obtain written consent from applicants before requesting restricted personal information and prohibits employers from requesting information without following through on the stated purpose.

• Restricts use of applicant information collected during the initial selection process to employment decisions only, and prohibits sharing such information with third parties except when required by law, for government benefits determination, for internal job applications, or for performance reviews of hired employees.

• Requires employers to maintain and provide applicants access to a written policy on retention, disposition, access, and confidentiality of applicant information, and limits retention of applicant data to two years after submission if the applicant is not hired.

• Allows individuals to pursue civil actions against employers for violations, with damages limited to actual damages sustained as a result of the employer's violation.