Maine Passes Clean Slate: One Step Left for Bill to Become Law

LD 1911, which will streamline and automate Maine's process for sealing eligible records, heads to Governor Mills for signature 

Augusta, ME — The Clean Slate Initiative celebrates the Maine state legislature passing LD 1911, which will streamline Maine’s current record-sealing framework by automating eligibility determinations and expanding the number of offenses eligible for record sealing generally. Once signed into law, Maine will become the 14th state, plus Washington D.C., to pass Clean Slate legislation.

LD 1911 was backed with bipartisan leadership in the Maine State Legislature. After years of study leading into the proposal, the bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, and will now head to Gov. Janet Mills for her signature.

“Maine’s passage of the Clean Slate bill shows what’s possible when lawmakers, advocates, and directly impacted people come together to expand opportunity and strengthen communities,” said Sheena Meade, CEO of The Clean Slate Initiative. “Now let’s make Maine the 14th Clean Slate state: We urge Governor Mills to sign LD 1911 so Mainers who have served their time, paid their dues, and remained crime-free can finally begin to move forward with their lives. ”

One in four Mainers has a past arrest or conviction record, often for old arrests or non-convictions that nevertheless block opportunities to jobs, education, and housing due to common practices that screen out applicants with records. Maine enacted a petition-based process in 2022 to allow certain records to be sealed four years after sentence completion — provided individuals have no subsequent convictions. In practice, this system was rarely used and left most eligible people without access to relief as a result. 

“Arrest and conviction records can make it harder for people in recovery to secure jobs with livable wages and stable housing, both of which are critical for long-term recovery,” said Tess Parks, Policy Director of Maine Recovery Action Project. “With Maine being one of the hardest hit states by the opioid crisis, LD 1911 reflects a recognition that all of our communities benefit when second chances are within reach.”

Under Clean Slate, approximately 123,000 Mainers are projected to benefit through the automated sealing of their records. Eligibility is limited to certain misdemeanor convictions after a conviction-free waiting period of 5 years, and certain non-convictions are eligible after a 6 month waiting period. Serious and recent offenses are excluded by statute, ensuring that relief is reserved for people who have demonstrated long-term rehabilitation. Once eligible records are sealed, they are removed from public background check searches to maintain consistency with current Maine law. However, sealed records remain accessible to courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement for investigations, sentencing, and other public safety purposes when appropriate in order to preserve transparency and public oversight.

LD 1911 passed the state Senate on April 6th with a vote of 20-12 and the House on April 7th with a vote of 81-65, which was followed by enactment votes in the House and Senate, and an appropriations review before it was sent to the governor’s desk.

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About The Clean Slate Initiative

The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI) is a national, bipartisan nonprofit organization that works to pass and implement automated record sealing legislation at the state and federal levels. More information about The Clean Slate Initiative is available at cleanslateinitiative.org.