§831-3.1  Prior convictions; criminal
records; noncriminal standards.  (a)  A person shall not be disqualified
from public office or employment by the State or any of its branches, political
subdivisions, or agencies except under section 831-2(c), or be disqualified to
practice, pursue, or engage in any occupation, trade, vocation, profession, or
business for which a permit, license, registration, or certificate is required
by the State or any of its branches, political subdivisions, or agencies,
solely by reason of a prior conviction of a crime; provided that:



(1)  With respect to liquor licenses, a person who has
been convicted of a felony may be denied a liquor license by the liquor
commission; and



(2)  A person who within the past ten years, excluding
any period of incarceration, has been convicted of a crime that bears a
rational relationship to the duties and responsibilities of a job, occupation,
trade, vocation, profession, or business may be denied employment, a permit,
license, registration, or certificate.  Nothing in this subsection shall
abrogate any applicable appeal rights under chapters 76 or 89.



(b)  The State or any of its branches,
political subdivisions, or agencies may consider as a justification for the
refusal, suspension, or revocation of any employment or of any permit, license,
registration, or certificate, any conviction of any crime, except those which
have been expunged, occurring within the past ten years, excluding any period
of incarceration, when that crime bears a rational relationship to the duties
and responsibilities of the job, occupation, trade, vocation, profession, or
business for which a permit, license, registration, or certificate is applied
for or held.



(c)  The State or any of its branches,
political subdivisions, or agencies may consider as a possible justification
for the refusal, suspension, or revocation of any employment or of any permit,
license, registration, or certificate, any conviction of a crime, not occurring
within the past ten years, excluding any period of incarceration, except those
which have been expunged, when the offense directly relates to:



(1)  The applicant's possible performance in the job
applied for;



(2)  The employee's possible performance in the job
that the employee holds; or



(3)  The applicant's or holder's possible performance
in the occupation, trade, vocation, profession, or business for which a permit,
license, registration, or certificate is applied for or held.



For the purpose of this subsection, such
refusal, suspension, or revocation may occur only when the agency determines,
after investigation in accordance with chapter 91, or in the case of employment
in the civil service, after appropriate investigation, notification of results
and planned action, and opportunity to meet and rebut the finding, all of which
need not be conducted in accordance with chapter 91, that the person so
convicted has not been sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust.



(d)  When considering noncriminal standards in
the granting, renewal, suspension, or revocation of any employment or any such
permit, license, registration, or certificate, the State or any of its
branches, political subdivisions, or agencies shall not take into consideration
the conviction of any crime except as provided by subsections (b) and (c).



(e)  A person who applies for a position in the
civil service and is denied employment in that position on the basis of a
criminal conviction pursuant to this section, may appeal the adverse decision
to the civil service commission or merit appeals board, as appropriate, within
twenty days after the notice of action has been sent to the person.



(f)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary,
this section shall not apply to:



(1)  Denials by the department of human services, the
department of health, or any other branch, political subdivision, or agency of
any certificate of approval, license, or permit to any organization,
institution, home, or facility subject to licensure under chapters 321, 333F,
and 346;



(2)  Denials of employment as a staff member of a
youth correctional facility operated under chapter 352;



(3)  Denials of employment as an employee of a
detention or shelter facility established or designated pursuant to section
571-33;



(4)  Denials of employment as a staff member of a
correctional facility pursuant to chapter 353, or as a staff member that
requires the exercise of police powers, including the power to arrest, in the
performance of the staff member's duties pursuant to chapter 353C; and



(5)  Denials of employment of applicants or employees
pursuant to section 78-2.7. [L 1974, c 205, §2; am L 1975, c 54, §1; am L 1976,
c 113, §2; am L 1979, c 53, §3; am L 1985, c 155, §3 and c 209, §8; gen ch
1985; am L 1987, c 339, §4; am L 1989, c 74, §2 and c 116, §1; am L 1993, c 40,
§2; am L 2003, c 95, §16(2)]



 



Cross References



 



  Employer inquiries into conviction record, see §378-2.5.



 



Attorney General Opinions



 



  Discussion of types of questions which may be asked by
various boards and commissions of persons applying for a new or renewed license
or certificate.  Att. Gen. Op. 89-1.



 



Case Notes



 



  Cited:  10 H. App. 220, 864 P.2d 1109.