The Nevada Legislature amended the State’s consumer reporting laws to remove restrictions on the information that a consumer reporting agency may report. With the passage of Senate Bill 409, a consumer reporting agency is no longer prohibited from reporting criminal convictions older than 7 years to all employers and reporting information to gaming licensees about a job applicant regarding bankruptcies older than 10 years and other civil judgments older than 7 years.
Introduced by nationally accredited AmericanChecked Inc. and Tony Cabot, partner at Lewis Roca Rothgerber and sponsored by former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman/current State Senator, Mark Lipparelli, SB409 allows gaming operators and employers to conduct more thorough background checks on prospective employees.
Attorney Tony Cabot commented, “SB 409 is an important step in maintaining the integrity of gaming in Nevada. AmericanChecked should be recognized for taking the leadership position in changing longstanding but archaic provisions of Nevada law for the benefit of the gaming industry and all businesses in Nevada.”
Federal law (15 U.S.C. § 1681c) prohibits a consumer reporting agency from disclosing an individual’s credit report information related to a bankruptcy filing that is more than 10 years old and certain other negative credit information, including reports of a civil judgment or criminal proceeding that is more than 7 years old. Nevada Revised Statutes 598C.150 contained similar prohibitions. However, in most states, the federal law allows criminal record convictions that are older than 7 years to be reported. The Nevada Statute limited reporting of conviction information to 7 years.
When President of AmericanChecked, Julie Hakman, was interviewed after learning of the passage of SB 409, she commented, “This is a great day for the Nevada gaming industry and employers nationwide! We are very proud to have spearheaded this legislation and truly appreciate the efforts of Tony Cabot and Senator Lipparelli for bringing it to fruition. When you are as committed to the gaming industry as AmericanChecked, it is extremely gratifying to see that commitment, determination and persistence made such a positive impact on the clients we serve. Simply put, this common sense legislation was the right thing to do, and we are extremely honored to have made a difference.”