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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/24/2024 08:26 PM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=36140
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: August 31, 2021 10:33 AM
From: Representative Sheryl M. Delozier and Rep. Jordan A. Harris
To: All House members
Subject: Clean Slate
 
Building upon the General Assembly’s prior commonsense criminal justice reforms, we plan to introduce legislation modernizing and expanding Clean Slate automated sealing to lower-level drug felonies. Unlike 35 other states, Pennsylvania does not allow for any felony sealing at this time. And while more than 36 million misdemeanor cases have been sealed by Clean Slate so far, many Pennsylvanians who have beat their addictions and moved on to become productive members of society are left with old drug felonies on their record.
 
This legislation aligns Pennsylvania law with best practices and evidence-based policies by expanding automated Clean Slate sealing a low-level drug felony after 10 years with a crime-free record. The drug conviction will not be eligible for sealing if a minimum sentence of imprisonment of 3 years or more was imposed, which excludes trafficking and other serious or violent offenses.
 
For those unfamiliar with the current clean slate statute, those convicted of the following offenses are ineligible and will continue to be ineligible for Clean Slate under this bill: offenses related to criminal homicide, offenses related to assault, offenses related to kidnapping, offenses related to human trafficking, sexual offenses, offenses against the family, and offenses involving firearms/weapons. You can see the full list here: https://www.pacourts.us/learn/learn-about-the-judicial-system/clean-slate-expungement-and-limited-access/ineligible-convictions-and-eligible-exclusions
 
Taken together, these changes would help make many thousands of Pennsylvanians more employable, productive taxpaying citizens and provide restorative justice.
 
Thanks for your consideration in co-sponsoring this important legislation.
 


Introduced as HB1826