IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 289 
Expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as ‘‘Second Chance 
Month’’. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2025 
Mr. WESTERMAN (for himself, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, Mr. BACON, Mrs. 
MILLER of West Virginia, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mrs. MCBATH, and Ms. 
WILSON of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of April 2025 as 
‘‘Second Chance Month’’. 
Whereas every individual is endowed with human dignity and 
value; 
Whereas redemption and second chances are values of the 
United States; 
Whereas millions of citizens of the United States have a 
criminal record; 
Whereas hundreds of thousands of individuals return to their 
communities from Federal and State prisons every year; 
Whereas individuals returning from Federal and State pris-
ons have paid their debt for committing crimes but still 
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•HRES 289 IH 
face significant legal and societal barriers (referred to in 
this preamble as ‘‘collateral consequences’’); 
Whereas collateral consequences for an individual returning 
from a Federal or State prison are mandatory and take 
effect automatically, regardless of— 
(1) whether there is a nexus between the crime and 
public safety; 
(2) the seriousness of the crime; 
(3) the time that has passed since the individual 
committed the crime; or 
(4) the efforts of the individual to make amends or 
earn back the trust of the public; 
Whereas, for individuals returning to their communities from 
Federal and State prisons, gaining meaningful employ-
ment is one of the most significant predictors of success-
ful reentry and has been shown to reduce future criminal 
activity; 
Whereas many individuals who have been incarcerated strug-
gle to find employment and access capital to start a small 
business because of collateral consequences, which are 
sometimes not directly related to the offenses the individ-
uals committed or any proven public safety benefit; 
Whereas many States have laws that prohibit an individual 
with a criminal record from working in certain industries 
or obtaining professional licenses; 
Whereas, in addition to employment, education has also been 
shown to be a significant predictor of successful reentry 
for individuals returning from Federal and State prisons; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record often has a 
lower level of educational attainment than the general 
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•HRES 289 IH 
population and has significant difficulty acquiring admis-
sion to, and funding for, educational programs; 
Whereas an individual who has been convicted of certain 
crimes is often barred from receiving the financial aid 
necessary to acquire additional skills and knowledge 
through certain formal educational programs; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record— 
(1) faces collateral consequences in securing a place 
to live; and 
(2) is often barred from seeking access to public 
housing; 
Whereas collateral consequences can prevent millions of indi-
viduals in the United States from contributing fully to 
their families and communities; 
Whereas collateral consequences can have an impact on pub-
lic safety by contributing to recidivism; 
Whereas collateral consequences have particularly impacted 
underserved communities of color and community rates of 
employment, housing stability, and recidivism; 
Whereas the inability to find gainful employment and other 
collateral consequences inhibit the economic mobility of 
an individual with a criminal record, which can negatively 
impact the well-being of the children and families of the 
individual for generations; 
Whereas the bipartisan First Step Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115–391; 132 Stat. 5194) was signed into law on Decem-
ber 21, 2018, to increase opportunities for individuals in-
carcerated in Federal prisons to participate in meaningful 
recidivism reduction programs and prepare for their sec-
ond chances; 
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