House passes two bills by Rep. Brandon Vick, including one to help those with criminal convictions return to the labor market

Vancouver Republican says goal is to help people with criminal convictions “become contributing members of society.”

A bill that could help people convicted of a crime re-enter the workforce after paying their debts to society passed the state House of Representatives on Wednesday.

House Bill 1874, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Vick, would ease the process for a person with a criminal conviction to determine if their criminal history would preclude them from obtaining a professional license administered by the Department of Licensing (DOL).

MP Brandon Vick, R-18

“The overall goal of this bill is simple,” said Vick, R-Vancouver. “We want to do everything in our power to help people with criminal convictions get back to work and become active members of society. If someone is willing to put their mistakes in the past, we want to encourage that rather than prevent it. This bill will help reduce the likelihood of recidivism.”

HB 1874 builds on House Bill 1399, which was passed last year. It asks the DOL to consider the seriousness of the crime, among other things, which can help a person invest time and effort in a career path that may be unattainable because of the crime committed.

In addition to HB 1874, the House passed another bill from Vick last week. House Bill 1648, supported unanimously, would replace an inactive certificate status with an inactive Certified Public Accountants (CPA) license designation.

The bill would remove certificate holder status for CPAs effective July 1, 2024, and replace it with the designation “inactive status licensee.”

“This bill cleans up the existing laws and makes things clearer to the public regarding the designation of a chartered accountant,” Vick said.

The new inactive status would put Washington’s licensing status on par with other states. It would also increase mobility for CPAs, which is especially important for military families and those moving between states.

“This simple change will make life easier for CPAs, both in Washington and those living out of state,” Vick said.

The 2022 legislative period began on January 10 and is scheduled to last 60 days.

Washington State House Republican information, houserepublicans.wa.gov