Bill
HB 2327
Requires issuing a Certificate of Employability to released inmates who meet education/training, discipline, and job-skills criteria to aid reentry and improve employment chances.
Status and timing
- Introduced: February 2025.
- Passed both houses and approved by the Governor June 30, 2025.
- Enacted as Public Act 104-0016; effective January 1, 2026.
Purpose
- To require the Secretary of Corrections to identify education/training history for inmates at release and to issue a “Certificate of Employability” to qualifying inmates, with the goal of supporting reentry and employment and collecting data on outcomes.
Key provisions
- Certificate issuance: Upon release, the Secretary must identify an inmate’s education/training and issue a Certificate of Employability if the inmate:
- Earned one of the listed credentials either prior to or while incarcerated: high school diploma, GED, college degree, vocational/technical certification, or a diploma/degree from a correspondence postsecondary program; and
- Had no major disciplinary violations during the year immediately preceding release; and
- Achieved the minimum score on a job-skills assessment determined by the Secretary.
- Notification and verification: The Secretary must inform all inmates about the opportunity to obtain a Certificate and must, upon request, confirm whether a specific inmate was issued one.
- Revocation and appeal: The Secretary must revoke a Certificate if the person is later convicted of a felony after release. Revocations may be appealed to the Secretary. The Secretary is shielded from civil liability for decisions to issue, deny, or revoke Certificates.
- Use in negligent-hiring claims: A Certificate may be admitted as evidence of an employer’s due care in hiring an inmate (and language about it serving as a complete legal defense was considered and amended during committee consideration).
- Criminal penalty for misrepresentation: An individual who knowingly represents a false, valid Certificate commits a class B nonperson misdemeanor.
- Reporting and rulemaking: The Secretary must submit an annual report by January 15 (first due January 15, 2026) to the Governor and legislative leaders including (1) number of Certificates issued in the prior year and (2) recidivism rate among Certificate recipients. The Secretary may adopt implementing rules.
Who is affected
- Primary: inmates released from the custody of the Department of Corrections who meet the eligibility criteria.
- Secondary: employers considering hiring formerly incarcerated individuals (Certificates can be used as evidence of due care), the Department of Corrections (administration and recordkeeping), and state budgets/taxpayers (implementation costs).
Fiscal impact (reported)
- Department of Corrections estimated additional State General Fund expenditures: approximately $831,714 in FY 2026 and $544,214 in FY 2027.
- Staffing: ~3.0 FTE regional coordinators (estimated $281,714 FY26; $243,714 FY27).
- One-time IT integration: ~$250,000 (FY26) to add assessment software to existing systems.
- Ongoing costs estimated: ~$15,000 licensing, ~$60,000 certificate generation/storage, and ~$225,000 for assessment provision (annual assessment-related costs).
Notes and context
- The bill was developed and considered as a reentry/employment measure; committee discussion referenced employment stability as a factor in reducing recidivism.
- During committee consideration, language regarding negligence defenses for employers was revised (see committee report for details of amendments).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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