; Whereas an analysis by the Prison Policy Initiative found that, in 2008, 27 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals were unemployed, compared to just 5.2 percent of the overall population; Whereas the racial disparities in the United States criminal justice system are reflected in our current employment statistics, as in the second quarter of 2019, 6.1 percent of African Americans were unemployed, compared to an overall unemployment rate of 3.5 percent during the same quarter; and Whereas barring employers from inquiring about an applicant’s history in the initial application process does not affect their ability to conduct background checks later in the hiring process: Now, therefore, be it