For Immediate Release Media Contact:
Brad Odil, President / COO
812-474-9000
bodil@referenceservices.com
Reference Services Implements 7-Year Reporting Standard for Criminal Convictions
Evansville, IN – November 11, 2024 – Reference Services, Inc. (RSI), a leading consumer reporting agency, announces the adoption of a 7-year reporting standard for criminal convictions on consumer reports, effective January 1, 2025. This aligns with the growing trend towards fairer hiring practices and compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Major violence and sex offense criminal felonies will continue to be reported beyond 7 years as allowed under federal and state law to all clients.
RSI will continue to report the maximum reporting standard for clients in the healthcare and child services industries. If you are an RSI clients in another high risk industry and want to maintain the maximum reporting standard we will continue to do so. In this case, please contact the RSI help desk so we can add special instructions to your account.
Modernizing Reporting for a Fairer Future
The FCRA limits the reporting of most negative information, like arrests or civil judgments, to seven years. RSI recognizes the importance of consumer privacy and ensuring that outdated information doesn’t unfairly impact employment opportunities.
Balancing Compliance and Common Sense
While the FCRA doesn’t restrict reporting of all criminal convictions, RSI acknowledges the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) guidance. The EEOC encourages employers to consider the nature of the offense, along with the time since conviction, when making hiring decisions.
State-Specific Variations
Some states already implement stricter reporting standards. RSI remains compliant with these regulations:
- Strict 7-Year Rule (Regardless of Income): California, Montana, Massachusetts, and New Mexico
- 7-Year Rule (Income Thresholds): Kansas, Maryland, New Hampshire, Washington and New York (applies if applicant makes $20,000 or less, $25,000 for New York)
Benefits for Employers and Consumers
“Many clients already limit reports to 7 years due to state restrictions and the increasing irrelevance of older criminal records to job suitability,” says Brad Odil, President of RSI. “This change fosters fairer hiring practices and accelerates hiring timelines for employers.”
For Your Questions and Special Needs
RSI is committed to providing accurate and compliant reporting solutions.
- For inquiries regarding special instructions or Quality Assurance scope of service, please contact the help desk: help@referenceservices.com | 812-474-9000 or your dedicated account representative.
- RSI will host a webinar on November 14th to discuss this new reporting standard. Join the webinar at https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/cf77b0f0-780f-4023-9141-b955441929bf@bfa97644-4086-4032-b2be-2895b02d05dd
- Special Instructions could include those major criminal conviction records you prefer to see. This list of major felony crimes will continue to be reported beyond 7 years unless otherwise noted on the RSI client instructions:
Criminal Categories:
Offense against Minors
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- Child Abuse
- Sex Crime Involving Child or Minor
- Other
Sex
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- Child Pornography
- Commercial Sex/Prostitution
- Obscenity
- Sexual Assault/Rape
- Indecent or Lewd Conduct
- Statutory Rape
- Other
Violence
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- Assault/Battery
- Homicide
- Kidnapping
- Robbery
- Sexual Assault/Rape
- Threat
- Involuntary Manslaughter
- Terrorism
- Other
- Smuggling
- False Report
- Crime Involving Animals or Livestock
- Harassment/Stalking
- Trespassing
- Other