In an effort to improve the life of convicted felons who served their sentences, the Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously passed a law Wednesday intended to assist employment prospects for people with criminal records.

The bill, titled SB 637, was sponsored by state Sen. John DiSanto, R-15th, and Sen. Judy Schwank, D-11th, and it will now go before Gov. Tom Wolf, who previously indicated his support for the bill, according to previous statements. If signed, the bill would remove professional licensing employment barriers for about 3 million Pennsylvanians with criminal records, according to an announcement made by Commonwealth Foundation, a think tank in Pennsylvania.

An analyst for the organization, Jessica Barnette, argued the current barriers go against helping people stay away from repeating criminal offenses since the lack of a job can make people turn back to crime.

“These are people already facing massive obstacles because they have a criminal record, and it will help tear down obstacles where they don't need to exist and help reduce recidivism,” Barnette said. “Studies on re-entry show that one of the biggest indicators of success is getting a job. It's about being able to help your family and support yourself without having to return back to crime or whatever act got you in prison before.”

Provisions in the bill are aimed at instructing boards, commissions or any other licensing entity on how they should look at an applicant's criminal conviction history. Licensing boards, such as those for barbers and cosmetologists, can consider an applicant's criminal history, but it can't be a justification in rejecting that applicant, according to the bill's language. The bill would limit automatic bans only to sex crimes, serious crimes of violence and drug trafficking offenses.

The bill ties into a previous reform, known as the Clean Slate Law, which was passed last year and helped remove from public access millions of criminal records, including summary offenses, less serious misdemeanors and those that do not involve convictions. These expunged records cannot be taken into consideration by license boards when determining an applicant's suitability.

State Sen. Marci Mustello, R-11th, said the bill was passed unanimously because it helps people achieve productive goals.

“I think we all recognize that people want to get their lives back together and they deserve a second chance and this is an opportunity. We don't need to punish them for a longer period of time than what's necessary,” Mustello said. “It makes a lot of sense to help people get back on their feet. It's a really good bill.”

Barnette said the law will allow citizens to be crime free through the “dignity of work.”

“Thankfully, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have come to recognize the inherent unfairness of these unnecessary barriers to employment,” she said. “By sending this bill to the governor's desk, lawmakers have ensured such restrictions no longer stand in the way of those who need employment the most.”

If passed, licensing boards will only be allowed to consider criminal history as it relates directly to the occupation. The bill will also remove unclear licensing law language and limit license denial for those with felony convictions showing substantial risk.

Barnette noted that at a time when the country is considering the types of obstacles presented to minorities, reforms that help the formerly incarcerated address some of these problems.

“We're actually moving on these changes and it's great,” she said.