Criminal Record Law Requirements Become Effective May 4

Significant changes to Massachusetts criminal record laws implemented by the Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information Reform Act will become effective on May 4, 2012. The law, which was passed in August 2010, has become well known for its "ban the box" provision that prohibits most employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history on an initial written application. Other significant portions of the law will go into effect on May 4, further affecting the process through which employers obtain criminal background information about job applicants. Some of the changes specifically affect criminal offender record information obtained from the state (known as "CORI"), and other changes affect any criminal record information obtained by employers in the process of making decisions regarding employment.