OK HB2585

Prior criminal convictions cannot disqualify a person from obtaining an occupational license unless the conviction is directly related to the occupation being sought

Licensing authorities must consider whether the conviction relates to job duties, whether the occupation presents opportunity for similar offenses, and time elapsed since the offense

Applicants facing denial must receive written notice identifying the disqualifying convictions, a copy of their conviction history, and examples of acceptable rehabilitation evidence

Applicants have 10 business days to respond with mitigation or rehabilitation evidence, which may include at least one year elapsed since release without subsequent conviction or letters of reference

Effective date: November 1, 2016