D.C. bill would make credit checks by most employers illegal

From the Washington Examiner:

The D.C. Council is considering a bill that would make it illegal for most employers to run credit checks on prospective employees.

Employers have increasingly turned to credit checks as part of vetting potential new hires, saying that a poor credit history could reflect poor judgment. But privacy advocates say in many cases the checks delve too far into job applicants' personal information.

As credit scores have dropped during the bad economy, lawmakers have sought to protect job applicants. Bills similar to D.C.'s have been introduced in New Jersey, Oregon and in Congress.