Following legislation passed this year by Sen. Sara Kyle to ban the box on state employment applications, President Obama announced today that a proposed rule would do the same for federal job applications.

I want to thank President Obama for his leadership on this issue. This will mean more opportunities for people who have paid their debt to society and are trying to rebuild their lives. Tennessee has already banned the box on state job applications, and today's announcement means even more opportunities are out there.

People in Memphis who are ex-offenders tell me that because of their record, they don't even apply for good jobs because they know they will be turned down.

The message is clear: put yourselves out there, the opportunities are there for you. When you succeed, our entire community succeeds.

SB 2440 passed this year and was signed into law by Gov. Haslam. It ends the practice of asking about prior convictions on an initial state job application, although managers can ask during the hiring process.

The state still conducts background checks for jobs in law enforcement and education.