City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 09
Chapter 09.02
Section 09.02.020
 

Title 09 Employment Standards

Chapter 09.02 Fair Chance Hiring

Section 09.02.020 Purpose

  1. The City of Spokane intends to ensure that people who have completed a sentence for a past criminal conviction are not forever branded as unworthy or unable to participate in the life of the community, a central part of which is the ability to compete for employment in Spokane.

  2. The City intends to ensure that all employers have clear guidance on when they can inquire about criminal records of job applicants, in an effort to provide predictability, certainty, and fairness to both employers and job applicants.

  3. The City intends to assure employers that they may still conduct criminal background checks necessary for their specific employment purposes, and to set certain minimum and non-intrusive standards for doing so.

  4. Nothing contained in this chapter is intended to be nor shall be construed to create or form the basis for any liability on the part of the City, or its officers, employees or agents for any injury or damage resulting from or by reason of any act or omission in connection with the implementation or enforcement of this chapter on the part of the City by its officers, employees or agents.

  5. Nothing in this chapter shall constitute or be construed to create a private right of action under state law or form a basis for relief in the state courts. It is the intent of this chapter that all causes of action for violations of the chapter shall lie with the City of Spokane municipal court.

  6. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to deny any person the right to institute any action or to pursue any civil or criminal remedy for the violation of such person’s civil rights.

Date Passed: Monday, November 27, 2017

Effective Date: Thursday, June 14, 2018

ORD C35564 Section 1