As of October 1, 1997 an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) imposes greater obligations and restrictions on employers use of criminal background checks for employment purposes. The new FCRA amendment imposes additional notification and authorization requirements on employers before investigative reports can be obtained (including criminal background checks), before taking adverse action based on such reports, and after such action is taken. The act applies to any employer who relies on third-party providers of investigative reports.

You can find the complete text of the amended Fair Credit Reporting Act on the Federal Trade Commission's web site: http://www.ftc.gov/.