IV 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 210 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of April 2019 as Second 
Chance Month. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 11, 2019 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself and Mr. WALKER) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for the designation of the month of April 
2019 as Second Chance Month. 
Whereas every person is endowed with human dignity and 
value; 
Whereas redemption and second chances are American val-
ues; 
Whereas millions of United States citizens have a criminal 
record; 
Whereas hundreds of thousands of individuals return to their 
community from Federal and State prisons every year; 
Whereas returning neighbors have paid their debt after com-
mitting a crime but still face significant legal and societal 
barriers (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘collateral con-
sequences’’); 
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•HRES 210 IH 
Whereas collateral consequences are mandatory and take ef-
fect automatically, regardless of— 
(1) a nexus to public safety; 
(2) the seriousness of the offense; 
(3) the time passed since the offense; or 
(4) the efforts of the individual to make amends or 
earn back the trust of the public; 
Whereas gaining meaningful employment is one of the most 
significant predictors of successful reentry and reducing 
future criminal activity; 
Whereas many individuals who have previously been incarcer-
ated struggle to find employment because of collateral 
consequences which are often not directly related to the 
offense committed or any proven public safety benefit; 
Whereas many States have laws which prohibit an individual 
with a criminal record from working in certain industries 
or obtaining professional licenses; 
Whereas education has also been shown to be a significant 
predictor of successful reentry; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record often has a 
lower level of educational attainment than the general 
population and has significant difficulty acquiring admis-
sion to and funding for educational programs; 
Whereas an individual convicted of certain crimes is often 
barred from receiving the financial aid necessary to ac-
quire additional skills and knowledge; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record also faces col-
lateral consequences in securing a place to live; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record is often barred 
from seeking access to public housing; 
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•HRES 210 IH 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record also often face 
other collateral consequences, such as an inability to re-
gain voting rights, volunteer in the community, and se-
cure identification documentation; 
Whereas an individual with a criminal record may incur sig-
nificant debt as a result of the conviction and incarcer-
ation of the individual; 
Whereas collateral consequences prevent millions of individ-
uals in the United States from contributing fully to their 
families and communities; 
Whereas collateral consequences can contribute to recidivism, 
which increases crime and victimization and decreases 
public safety; 
Whereas the inability to find gainful employment and other 
collateral consequences of conviction 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, on December 21, 2018, the bipartisan First Step 
Act was signed into law to increase opportunities for peo-
ple incarcerated in Federal prison to participate in mean-
ingful recidivism reduction programs and prepare for 
their second chances; 
Whereas the Second Chance Act of 2007, which has provided 
reentry services to over 164,000 people in 49 States and 
the District of Columbia since its passage, was reauthor-
ized through the First Step Act of 2018; 
Whereas the anniversary of the death of Charles Colson, who 
used his second chance following his incarceration for a 
Watergate-related crime to found Prison Fellowship, the 
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•HRES 210 IH 
Nation’s largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, 
and their families, falls on April 21; and 
Whereas the designation of April as ‘‘Second Chance Month’’ 
can contribute to increased public awareness about the 
impact of collateral consequences, the need for closure for 
those who have paid their debt, and opportunities for in-
dividuals, employers, congregations, and communities to 
extend second chances: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) supports the designation of Second Chance 
Month; 
(2) honors the work of communities, govern-
mental institutions, nonprofits organizations, con-
gregations, employers, and individuals to remove un-
necessary legal and societal barriers that prevent an 
individual with a criminal record from becoming pro-
ductive members of society; and 
(3) calls upon the people of the United States 
to observe Second Chance Month through actions 
and programs that promote awareness of those un-
necessary legal and social barriers and provide clo-
sure for individuals with a criminal record who have 
paid their debt. 
Æ 
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