,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #baj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,march #aa1         
#bjai,mr4 ,crdenas 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,walker7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on the ,judiciary            
,,resolution  ,expressing support for   
the designation of the month of ,april  
#bjai as ,second ,chance ,month4        
,whereas every person is endowed with   
human dignity and value2 ,whereas       
redemption and second chances are       
,american values2 ,whereas millions of  
,united ,states citizens have a criminal
 record2 ,whereas hundreds of thousands 
of individuals return to their community
 from ,federal and ,state prisons every 
year2 ,whereas returning neighbors have 
paid their debt after committing a crime
 but still face significant legal and   
societal barriers 7referred to in this  
preamble as collateral consequences72   
,whereas collateral consequences are    
mandatory and take effect automatically1

 regardless of-- 7#a7 a nexus to public 
safety2  7#b7 the seriousness of the    
offense2  7#c7 the time passed since the
 offense2 or  7#d7 the efforts of the   
individual to make amends or earn back  
the trust of the public2 ,whereas       
gaining meaningful employment is one of 
the most significant predictors of      
successful reentry and reducing future  
criminal activity2 ,whereas many        
individuals who have previously been    
incarcerated struggle to find employment
 because of collateral consequences     
which are often not directly related to 
the offense committed or any proven     
public safety benefit2 ,whereas many    
,states have laws which prohibit an     
individual with a criminal record from  
working in certain industries or        
obtaining professional licenses2        
,whereas education has also been shown  
to be a significant predictor of        
successful reentry2 ,whereas an         
individual with a criminal record often 
has a lower level of educational        

attainment than the general population  
and has significant difficulty acquiring
 admission to and funding for           
educational programs2 ,whereas an       
individual convicted of certain crimes  
is often barred from receiving the      
financial aid necessary to acquire      
additional skills and knowledge2        
,whereas an individual with a criminal  
record also faces collateral            
consequences in securing a place to     
live2 ,whereas an individual with a     
criminal record is often barred from    
seeking access to public housing2       
,whereas an individual with a criminal  
record also often face other collateral 
consequences1 such as an inability to   
regain voting rights1 volunteer in the  
community1 and secure identification    
documentation2 ,whereas an individual   
with a criminal record may incur        
significant debt as a result of the     
conviction and incarceration of the     
individual2 ,whereas collateral         
consequences prevent millions of        

individuals in the ,united ,states from 
contributing fully to their families and
 communities2 ,whereas collateral       
consequences can contribute to          
recidivism1 which increases crime and   
victimization and decreases public      
safety2 ,whereas the inability to find  
gainful employment and other collateral 
consequences of conviction inhibit the  
economic mobility of an individual with 
a criminal record1 which can negatively 
impact the well-being of the children   
and families of the individual for      
generations2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ba1
 #bjah1 the bipartisan ,first ,step ,act
 was signed into law to increase        
opportunities for people incarcerated in
 ,federal prison to participate in      
meaningful recidivism reduction programs
 and prepare for their second chances2  
,whereas the ,second ,chance ,act of    
#bjjg1 which has provided reentry       
services to over #afd1jjj people in #di 
,states and the ,district of ,columbia  
since its passage1 was reauthorized     

through the ,first ,step ,act of #bjah2 
,whereas the anniversary of the death of
 ,charles ,colson1 who used his second  
chance following his incarceration for a
 ,watergate-related crime to found      
,prison ,fellowship1 the ,nation's      
largest outreach to prisoners1 former   
prisoners1 and their families1 falls on 
,april #ba2 and ,whereas the designation
 of ,april as ,second ,chance ,month can
 contribute to increased public         
awareness about the impact of collateral
 consequences1 the need for closure for 
those who have paid their debt1 and     
opportunities for individuals1          
employers1 congregations1 and           
communities to extend second chances3   
,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that the ,house
 of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the
 designation of ,second ,chance ,month2 
7#b7 honors the work of communities1    
governmental institutions1 nonprofits   
organizations1 congregations1 employers1
 and individuals to remove unnecessary  
legal and societal barriers that prevent

 an individual with a criminal record   
from becoming productive members of     
society2 and  7#c7 calls upon the people
 of the ,united ,states to observe      
,second ,chance ,month through actions  
and programs that promote awareness of  
those unnecessary legal and social      
barriers and provide closure for        
individuals with a criminal record who  
have paid their debt4