A bipartisan bill to overhaul the state’s expungement process is heading to the state Senate after passing the Assembly this afternoon via voice vote.
The legislation, from Reps. David Steffen and Evan Goyke and Sens. Alberta Darling and Fred Risser, would change who’s eligible for expungement and the timeline, but it wouldn’t broaden the offenses that could be wiped from an individual’s record.
Under current law, expungement is only possible if an individual committed a crime — either a misdemeanor or Class H or I felony — before age 25. But the bill would remove that age limit and give individuals who committed those offenses the ability to petition a court and ask that their record be expunged after their sentence is completed. Currently, that process can only occur at the initial sentencing.
In order to have a crime expunged, the individual would need to complete an entire sentence, including paying any fines or fees. And those affected would only be allowed to petition their sentencing court twice requesting a given crime be expunged.
A similar bill failed to clear the Legislature last sentence.
