Legislation usually dies in the dark. You see a bill number, some politician shakes a hand, and then? Nothing. But Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 task force—officially known as the Task Force on Inventorying Employment Restrictions—is a weirdly different beast. It wasn't just a group of people sitting in a wood-panneled room in Springfield drinking lukewarm coffee. It was a massive attempt to figure out why, exactly, the State of Illinois makes it so hard for people with a criminal record to actually get a job.
Most people don't realize how many "invisible" walls exist. You finish your time. You pay your debt. You go to get a license to be a barber or a roofer, and boom—denied. Why? Because of a law written in 1954 that nobody bothered to check.
The Reality Behind Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 Task Force
Illinois has a lot of rules. Like, a lot. When Governor J.B. Pritzker signed this into law back in 2019, the goal was simple but daunting: find every single "collateral consequence" in state law that prevents someone with a record from working. We're talking about professional licenses, certifications, and even just the ability to step foot on certain job sites.
It's about the "permanent punishment."
The task force was housed under the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA). This wasn't a bunch of interns. We're talking about the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Director of Labor, and representatives from the Attorney General’s office. They were tasked with digging through the Illinois Compiled Statutes like archeologists looking for legislative fossils that hold people back.
What they actually found
Honestly, the sheer volume of restrictions is staggering. If you want to work in healthcare, there are barriers. If you want to work in real estate, there are barriers. Even things like being a private detective or a funeral director have these "good moral character" clauses that are basically legal traps. These clauses give licensing boards way too much power to say "no" based on a mistake someone made twenty years ago.
The Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 task force had to look at how these rules disproportionately hit communities of color. It's not a secret. If the system arrests more people in certain zip codes, and those people then can't get licenses to work in growing industries, you’ve basically created a cycle of poverty that the law itself is enforcing.
Why 2019 was a weird year for reform
2019 was a "honeymoon" period for criminal justice reform in Illinois. We saw the legalization of cannabis, which included provisions for expungement. People were feeling hopeful. Then the task force started its work, and they realized that identifying the problems is easy—fixing them is a nightmare.
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Think about the sheer bureaucracy. You have the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) overseeing hundreds of thousands of licenses. They have their own internal rules. Then you have the state laws. Sometimes they clash. Sometimes they are just redundant.
The task force wasn't just about making a list. They were supposed to provide a "remedial plan." They had to ask: "Does this specific restriction actually make the public safer?" Most of the time, the answer is no. If someone was convicted of a drug offense at 19, does that really mean they can't be a safe, effective cosmetologist at 35? Probably not.
The "Good Moral Character" Problem
This is the phrase that drives lawyers and advocates crazy. It’s used throughout Illinois law. It's vague. It’s subjective. The Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 task force looked at this closely because "good moral character" is often used as a catch-all to deny employment without having to prove that the person is actually a risk.
It's kinda like a "vibes" check, but with the power of the state behind it.
The impact on the Illinois economy
We often talk about justice in moral terms, but let's talk cash. When people can't work, they don't pay taxes. They might end up back in the system, which costs the state roughly $37,000 per person per year to incarcerate.
By removing these employment barriers, the state is basically trying to grow its own workforce. There are thousands of unfilled jobs in trades that require state licensing. If you have a workforce sitting on the sidelines because of Public Act 101-0038-related barriers, you're shooting your own economy in the foot.
Labor unions, surprisingly to some, have been part of these conversations. They need workers. They need apprentices. If a guy can't get onto a construction site because of a background check rule that hasn't been updated since the 80s, the union loses a member and the state loses a taxpayer.
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The struggle of data collection
One thing the task force hit immediately was a wall of bad data. It turns out that state agencies aren't great at talking to each other. Tracking how many people were denied a license specifically because of a criminal record is harder than it sounds.
Sometimes a person sees the "criminal history" box on an application and just stops. They don't even apply. How do you count the people who gave up before they started? You can't. That’s why the task force’s job of "inventorying" was so vital—it wasn't just about the "no"s, it was about the "don't even bother"s.
Real-world consequences of the Task Force's work
So, did things change?
Sorta. The work of the Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 task force fed into subsequent legislative sessions. It laid the groundwork for things like the Illinois CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) and further tweaks to the school code and healthcare worker background check acts.
But it’s slow.
You’ve got to understand that for every rule the task force wanted to cut, there was often a lobbyist or a "tough on crime" advocate saying that the rule was there for "public safety." It’s a constant tug-of-war. For instance, the restrictions on healthcare workers are some of the toughest to move because the "safety" argument is so strong there, even if the conviction is decades old and unrelated to patient care.
What you can actually do with this information
If you're someone with a record in Illinois, or you're an employer trying to hire, you need to know your rights under the current evolution of these laws. The 2019 task force started a fire that is still burning.
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- Check the IDFPR website. They have been forced to be more transparent about how they evaluate criminal histories.
- Look into the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act. This is Illinois' "Ban the Box" law for private employers.
- Utilize the Office of the State Appellate Defender. They have amazing resources for expungement and sealing, which is the "gold standard" for getting around these barriers.
- Don't assume a "no" is final. Many licensing boards now have an appeal process where you can present evidence of rehabilitation. This was a direct "best practice" suggested by various reform advocates during the task force era.
The Public Act 101-0038 Illinois 2019 task force wasn't a magic wand. It didn't fix everything overnight. But it did something arguably more important: it put the burden of proof on the state. It forced the government to justify why it was keeping people out of work.
In a state like Illinois, where the "old way" of doing things usually wins, that’s a pretty big deal.
Future steps for advocates and workers
If you're looking to navigate this landscape, focus on documentation. The task force highlighted that "rehabilitation evidence" is your best friend. Get your certificates. Get letters of recommendation. Keep your employment history clean. The law is slowly catching up to the idea that people change, but you still have to prove it to the bureaucrats who haven't caught the memo yet.
Employers should also take note. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) isn't just about race or gender; it's about life experience. Hiring people with records—often called "Fair Chance Hiring"—is becoming a competitive advantage. These employees often show higher retention rates and a massive amount of loyalty to the companies that give them a shot.
The work started by Public Act 101-0038 continues through various "clean slate" initiatives and ongoing legislative tweaks. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. But at least now, we have a map of where the hurdles are.
Practical Steps to Overcome Employment Barriers in Illinois
- Request your RAP sheet. You can't fix what you don't see. Get a copy of your Illinois State Police criminal history transcript.
- Identify "waivable" offenses. Some professional licenses allow for waivers. Check the specific act governing your desired profession (e.g., the Healthcare Worker Background Check Act).
- Seek Legal Aid. Organizations like Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) or Land of Lincoln Liberty take these cases specifically because of the findings of task forces like this one.
- Prepare a "Statement of Rehabilitation." Don't wait for them to ask. Proactively explain the steps you've taken since your conviction.
The legacy of the 2019 task force is that it moved the conversation from "should we let these people work?" to "how do we get them to work safely?" That shift in perspective is everything. It's the difference between a closed door and a door that's just very heavy and requires a good push.