Maryland legislature overrides governor's "Ban the Box" veto

The Maryland Senate voted 32-15 to override Gov. Larry Hogan's veto of legislation that will prohibit public and private colleges and universities in the state from asking prospective students about their criminal history.

The law will only apply to the initial college application. Schools will remain able to ask about arrests and convictions at later stages of the admission process and to deny entry to applicants they believe pose a danger, according to the bill's Senate sponsor.

By enacting the bill, Maryland became the second state to "Ban the Box" from its college admissions process.

In 2017, Louisiana passed "Ban the Box" legislation that directed its higher education institutions to no longer inquiring about a potential student's criminal history during the application process.

The State University of New York system voted to remove criminal history inquiries from its admissions process in 2016.

Source: The Baltimore Sun, 1/12/2018

Posted: February 6, 2018