New York Preliminary License Application Navigation (“PLAN”)

State Bill

New York Preliminary License Application Navigation (“PLAN”)

Professional licenses can lead to successful careers in some of the fastest-growing fields. 1 in 4 jobs in the United States requires an occupational license. However, having a criminal record can be a barrier to licensure. Licensing restrictions can be particularly limiting for formerly incarcerated women, who disproportionately work in more regulated fields such as health care, childcare, and education.

Right now, a person has to go through training, education and the licensing process without knowing whether their conviction will ultimately disqualify them. This can deter people or force them to waste time and money pursuing their dreams. The PLAN bill would create a pre-application process that allows people to know if their record is disqualifying BEFORE investing in training and education for a license.

"Having a pre-application process would have been extremely helpful for me as I pursue a license in social work. I was passionate about social work because of my experience with the criminal justice system. I paid a lot of money to go to Fordham School of Social Work, and paid for the licensing test, which I took in 2021. I’m still waiting to hear from the board about whether my license will be granted. There is no clarity on the website and I’ve called many times and haven’t gotten answers. If there had been a pre-application process I could have known whether my conviction would disqualify me from getting a social work license and the lengthy process to appeal the denial of my license BEFORE I invested all the time and money in it."

– Sister Eli, Women’s Community Justice Association Justice4Women Task Force