The Clean Slate Initiative Urges Bipartisan Support for Federal Record Sealing Bills
Clean Slate Act Lifts Barriers to Work for People with Records, Opens New Workforces for Employers, and Saves Taxpayers Money
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Later today, the House Judiciary Committee will undertake a full committee markup of the Clean Slate Act (H.R.2864) and the Fresh Start Act (H.R.5651). The two bipartisan bills would, for the first time, enable people with federal arrest and conviction records to petition to clear those records and support increased access to automatic record sealing for eligible offenses at the federal and state levels.
Ahead of the committee markup, Sheena Meade, executive director of the Clean Slate Initiative, released the following statement:
“Working families deserve every chance to create a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, one in every three people in our country today has a past arrest or conviction record that impedes their ability to get a job, secure housing, get an education, and otherwise participate in civic life.
“Thankfully, bipartisan support in recent years has led to red, blue, and purple states passing Clean Slate laws that give people a fair chance at meaningful opportunities. Today, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee has an opportunity to ensure people with federal records are not left behind.
“The Clean Slate Act is commonsense legislation that would ensure that working people have a fair chance to create a better future for themselves. State after state is showing us how Clean Slate laws can help millions of Americans, bring more people into the workforce, increase public safety, and save taxpayers money.
“I believe our leaders in Congress can build upon the bipartisan momentum found in states across the country and increase access to meaningful employment, housing, education, and other opportunities for working Americans. The first step in doing so is advancing robust, bipartisan versions of the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act out of the markup process, and I strongly call upon members of the House Judiciary Committee to do just that.”
Additional Information About the Clean Slate Act and the Fresh Start Act
The Clean Slate Act (H.R.2864) creates a first-ever federal process that enables individuals to petition for clearance of non-violent conviction records and establishes a streamlined system to automate sealing for eligible low-level drug records for people who have completed their sentences and remained crime-free for a period of time.
The Fresh Start Act (H.R.5651) creates a federal grant program that allows states that passed automatic sealing laws to apply for federal funds to implement those laws so that millions more people can access employment, housing, and education opportunities. Additionally, federal funds would allow states to make their record-sealing systems more efficient through automation.
These two pieces of legislation would:
remove barriers to opportunity for millions of people currently excluded from jobs and housing because they can’t pass a background check;
open up a new potential workforce for employers struggling to hire; and,
save taxpayers money by reducing recidivism and dependency while streamlining a costly and burdensome state court workload.
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