The New Orleans City Council recently approved legislation making it unlawful for city contractors to seek or use the consumer credit history of a current or prospective employee for any decision regarding the hiring or compensation of an employee or the terms, conditions, or privileges of his or her employment. The ordinance, entitled the “Equal Access to Employment Act,” was adopted by the New Orleans City Council on June 23, 2016, and Mayor Mitch Landrieu approved it on July 1, 2016. The ordinance will become effective on December 23, 2016—six months after its adoption by the city council. The Equal Access to Employment Act will eliminate the use of credit history for employment purposes by city contractors except in certain very narrow circumstances.

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