ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York state has a new rule prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage to businesses that hire former inmates.
Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration announced the regulation on Wednesday.
Officials say some insurers would refuse to offer commercial crime insurance to companies that hired ex-offenders. The new rules are intended to remove that barrier and encourage more New York companies to hire former inmates.
Cuomo says work can give a one-time offender a fresh start while also reducing the chances they commit another crime.
The governor’s office says New York is the first state in the nation to adopt such a regulation.
Some 2.3 million people in the state have a criminal conviction.
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