{"id":10195,"date":"2023-08-19T09:22:33","date_gmt":"2023-08-19T09:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/leadership\/texas-decimates-many-local-laws\/"},"modified":"2023-08-19T09:22:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-19T09:22:34","slug":"texas-decimates-many-local-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195","title":{"rendered":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or conflict with state laws, such as Austin\u2019s Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance, or \u201cban the box\u201d law. This move carries significant implications for employers in Austin who conduct criminal background checks of job candidates requiring that employers recalibrate their hiring practices and understand the shifting sands of compliance.<\/p>\n

Understanding Preemption<\/u><\/p>\n

Preemption, in the realm of law, refers to the concept where a higher level of government authority supersedes or displaces the regulations of a lower level of government. In the context of Texas, this means that state laws take precedence over local laws and ordinances, effectively rendering them null and void.<\/p>\n

Texas House Bill 2127, referred to as The Texas Regulatory Consistency Act or the \u201cDeath Star\u201d law, aims to eliminate the varying set of regulations that are inconsistently enforced throughout the state. The Act intends to restore regulatory control over commerce to the state level by preventing cities and counties from enforcing or enacting any legislation that governs labor practices in a manner exceeding or conflicting with state regulations. Texas\u2019s Death Star law will impact a myriad of local laws affecting everything from workers\u2019 rights to residential issues and becomes effective September 1, 2023.<\/p>\n

Hiring in Austin is directly impacted by Texas\u2019s new law. While Austin may have been at the forefront of fair chance hiring and \u201cban the box\u201d legislation by passing a law in 2016 prohibiting private employers from asking job applicants about their criminal histories until after a conditional job offer, Texas has asserted its authority by preempting these local efforts. As a result, Austin\u2019s Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance can no longer be enforced by the city. A similar ordinance, passed in DeSoto, Texas, in 2021 will also be unenforceable.<\/p>\n

<\/fbs-ad><\/p>\n

Impact on Employers<\/u><\/p>\n

For employers in Austin who have been diligently following the \u201cban the box\u201d measure, the preemption introduces a seismic shift in their hiring protocols. It is crucial for employers to recognize that the prohibition on criminal history inquiries at the initial stages of the hiring process and additional adverse action requirements will no longer be required. While this may offer more latitude in evaluating candidates, it also presents new complexities and considerations.<\/p>\n

For example, Austin\u2019s Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance requires that employers conduct an individualized assessment of a candidate\u2019s criminal history, considering the nature and gravity of the criminal offenses, the time since the offenses occurred and the sentence was completed, and the nature and responsibilities of the job sought by the candidate. The assessment is similar to the guidance provided by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concerning the consideration of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions. Austin\u2019s ban the box law also requires that employers who deny candidates employment based on their criminal history notify the candidate as part of the adverse action process that the adverse action was based on the individual\u2019s criminal history.<\/p>\n

The preemption of Austin\u2019s \u201cban the box\u201d law brings to the forefront a delicate balancing act between inclusivity, anti-discrimination, and due diligence. Employers must now tread carefully to avoid unintentional discrimination while complying with Texas\u2019s \u201cDeath Star\u201d law.<\/p>\n

Navigating Compliance<\/u><\/p>\n

To help ensure compliance with the evolving legal landscape, Austin employers may need to recalibrate their hiring practices. Considerations for employers include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reviewing and Revising Policies: Employers may revisit and update their hiring policies to align with the state\u2019s preemption stance. While not explicitly required, because Austin\u2019s ban the box law will be preempted, employers who find it valuable to assess criminal history early in the application process may revise job applications and interview scripts to account for the reintroduction of criminal history inquiries.<\/li>\n
  2. Education and Training: Individuals who make employment decisions, such as managers and HR personnel, should receive comprehensive training on any revisions to policies and processes to ensure consistency in their application and minimize potential pitfalls related to discrimination and unconscious bias.<\/li>\n
  3. Individualized Assessment: While no longer expressly required by Austin\u2019s ban the box law because of state preemption, employers are reminded of the EEOC\u2019s enforcement guidance concerning the consideration of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions. Employers should adopt an individualized approach when assessing a candidate\u2019s criminal history. Evaluate the relevance of the offense to the job, considering factors such as recency and severity.<\/li>\n
  4. Documentation and Decision-Making Uniformity: Maintain meticulous records of hiring decisions, outlining the rationale behind each candidate\u2019s evaluation. Consistency in the application of policies is paramount to demonstrating fairness. Employers are encouraged to utilize tools that can help create an audit trail of the individualized assessment process.<\/li>\n
  5. Collaboration with Legal Counsel: Given the intricate nature of employment law, seeking guidance from legal professionals well-versed in Texas preemption and hiring regulations is a prudent step. Further, the enforcement of Texas\u2019s Death Star law is expected to be challenged by several municipalities whose laws and ordinances will be eliminated by the law, making compliance with impacted laws and ordinances a moving target.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Texas\u2019 preemptive move in the realm of fair chance hiring legislation challenges Austin and DeSoto employers to rethink their hiring strategies. The state\u2019s assertion of authority necessitates reevaluating hiring policies to align with the changing legal landscape. By proactively addressing compliance and maintaining a delicate balance between inclusivity and due diligence, employers can navigate this shift while ensuring fair and informed hiring decisions. As we adapt to this new paradigm, the spotlight remains on the business community to foster an equitable employment environment within the bounds of the law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or conflict with state laws, such as Austin\u2019s Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance, or \u201cban the box\u201d law. This move carries significant implications for employers in Austin who conduct criminal background […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10195","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leadership"},"yoast_head":"\nTexas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Brandiary\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/1692436954_0x0.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"705\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"News Room\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"News Room\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4\"},\"headline\":\"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\"},\"wordCount\":950,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\",\"name\":\"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00\",\"description\":\"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\",\"name\":\"Brandiary\",\"description\":\"Latest Business and Startup News and Updates\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Brandiary\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png\",\"width\":381,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"Brandiary\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4\",\"name\":\"News Room\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"News Room\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary","description":"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary","og_description":"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or","og_url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195","og_site_name":"Brandiary","article_published_time":"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":705,"url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/1692436954_0x0.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"News Room","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"News Room","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195"},"author":{"name":"News Room","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4"},"headline":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws","datePublished":"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195"},"wordCount":950,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Leadership"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195","name":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws | Brandiary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-08-19T09:22:33+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-19T09:22:34+00:00","description":"In the intricate landscape of employment law, the Lone Star State has recently taken a bold step by preempting local laws and ordinances that surpass or","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?p=10195#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Texas Decimates Many Local Laws"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/","name":"Brandiary","description":"Latest Business and Startup News and Updates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#organization","name":"Brandiary","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/b-logo-1.png","width":381,"height":100,"caption":"Brandiary"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/5062dafb0f932b59aa228f1a047332f4","name":"News Room","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/avatar_user_1_1688031660-96x96.png","caption":"News Room"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com"],"url":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10197,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10195\/revisions\/10197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mysourcefunding.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}