Background screening compliance calendar
Every screening law change we track with a known effective date — what it changes, who it reaches, and the statute behind it — in one dated, filterable table.
Short answer
Which screening law changes have dated effective dates?
Each entry below lists the jurisdiction, the effective date, what the requirement actually changes, and which employers it reaches. Fair Chance changes generally alter when the conviction question may be asked and how long a candidate has to respond before a final decision. Sealing laws remove records from what may be reported or considered. Cannabis laws limit what a positive THC result can be used for outside safety-sensitive roles. Confirm current text with counsel before changing a policy.
How to use this calendar
Screening obligations change at the state and city level several times a year, and the changes that cause trouble are rarely the headline ones — they are the quiet extensions of a candidate response window or a new individualized-assessment document. Filter to the categories you are exposed to, check the upcoming entries each quarter, and map each change to the specific step in your process it touches.
Compliance calendar
Screening law changes with a dated effective date
- Fair chanceUpcoming
Washington — Fair Chance Act amendments (E2SHB 1747) — phase 2
The same conditional-offer and assessment rules extend to smaller employers.
Who it affects: Employers with fewer than 15 employees.
Citation: E2SHB 1747
- Fair chance
San Francisco, CA — Fair Chance Ordinance amendments
Employer must confirm receipt of the candidate's response within 14 days, issue a final decision within 30 days of receiving it, and disregard out-of-state convictions for conduct lawful in California.
Who it affects: Employers with San Francisco positions.
Citation: Ordinance No. 128-26
- Record sealing
Virginia — Clean Slate sealing and employer inquiry ban
Automatic sealing of eligible records, and employers may not require disclosure of sealed charges.
Who it affects: All Virginia employers.
Citation: Va. Code §§19.2-392.13, .15, .16
- Fair chance
Washington — Fair Chance Act amendments (E2SHB 1747) — phase 1
Conviction inquiries delayed until after a conditional offer, mandatory individualized assessment, and a minimum two-business-day candidate response window.
Who it affects: Employers with 15 or more employees.
Citation: E2SHB 1747
- Pay & inquiry
New York — Statewide financial-history inquiry ban
Employers may not request or use a candidate's financial history except for roles where state or federal law requires it.
Who it affects: All New York employers.
- Fair chance
Philadelphia, PA — Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards amendments
Expanded individualized-assessment documentation and a longer candidate response window before a final decision.
Who it affects: Employers with any Philadelphia-based position.
Citation: Bill 250373-A
- Record sealing
District of Columbia — Second Chance Amendment Act
Automatic sealing of many non-conviction and eligible misdemeanor records; sealed records must not be reported or considered.
Who it affects: Any employer hiring in DC.
Citation: D.C. Law 24-284
- Fair chance
Texas — Statewide ban-the-box (HB 2466)
Conviction history may not be requested on the initial application for covered employers.
Who it affects: Covered Texas employers.
Citation: HB 2466
- Cannabis
California — AB 2188 off-duty cannabis protections
Employers may not act on a test detecting non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites; safety-sensitive and federally regulated roles are carved out.
Who it affects: California employers outside the carve-outs.
Citation: Cal. Gov. Code §12954
- Cannabis
Washington — SB 5123 pre-employment cannabis testing limits
Pre-employment testing for non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites may not be the basis of a hiring decision for covered roles.
Who it affects: Washington employers outside safety-sensitive carve-outs.
Citation: SB 5123
- Federal
Federal — Fair Hiring in Banking Act
Narrowed FDIC Section 19: older, minor, expunged, and certain de minimis offenses no longer bar employment at an insured institution.
Who it affects: FDIC-insured institutions and their hiring teams.
Citation: 12 U.S.C. §1829
What to do when one of these lands
Most changes hit one of four places: the application form, the point in the process where the conviction question may be asked, the waiting period between the pre-adverse and final adverse action notices, or the content of the notices themselves. Work through them in that order. The adverse action timeline calculator reflects the current jurisdiction rules, and the FCRA compliance checklist is the end-to-end version.
Frequently asked questions
What background check laws have dated effective dates right now?
The table below lists every screening law change we track with a known effective date — Fair Chance, cannabis, record sealing, pay and inquiry bans, and federal changes — with what each one changes and which employers it reaches.
What changed in Washington's Fair Chance Act?
E2SHB 1747 delays conviction inquiries until after a conditional offer, requires a documented individualized assessment, and gives the candidate a minimum two-business-day window to respond. It applied to employers with 15 or more employees from July 1, 2026 and reaches smaller employers on January 1, 2027.
What did San Francisco change in 2026?
Ordinance No. 128-26 requires the employer to confirm receipt of a candidate's response within 14 days, issue a final decision within 30 days of receiving it, and disregard out-of-state convictions for conduct that is lawful in California.
How often does this calendar change?
Screening law moves constantly at the state and city level. SafestHires reviews this calendar on a rolling basis and dates every entry; confirm the current text of any law with counsel before relying on it.