Lying on résumé could land you in jail

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

Not only would it become illegal for people to lie on their résumés about their academic credentials, but according to a bill lawmakers passed Friday, the move could land those liars in jail.

State senators unanimously amended and approved a bill that would make giving or using a fake or otherwise unaccredited degree a class C felony, a crime of fraud that could warrant five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The legislation also would make it illegal to lie orally, as well as in writing, when trying to get a job or other kind of benefit.

Once final, the law would take effect in July.

An earlier version of the proposal, known as the diploma-mill bill, would have made someone subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for falsely claiming in writing to have an accredited degree, including a high school diploma, if it wasn't granted for actual coursework, the kind normally recognized by higher education standards in the United States.

No word yet on whether politicians who lie before elections will ever be put in jail.