Governor Shapiro Signs Pennsylvania's Clean Slate Expansion Bill
Pennsylvania Builds Upon the Success of Landmark Automatic Record Clearance Law
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Last night, the Pennsylvania state legislature passed HB 689, legislation that builds on the state’s groundbreaking 2018 Clean Slate law by expanding access to second-chance opportunities for people with felony convictions. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support and was immediately signed into law earlier today by Governor Josh Shapiro.
“Pennsylvania’s leadership has inspired states throughout the country, with 12 states now having Clean Slate laws on the books,” said Sheena Meade, Chief Executive Officer of The Clean Slate Initiative. “By opening Clean Slate's doors wider, Pennsylvania makes a resounding statement about the power of bringing fairness and redemption within reach.”
Pennsylvania was the first state to pass and implement automatic record clearance legislation. Since 2019, the state has cleared 45,178,422 records, according to the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania. Community Legal Services of Philadelphia reports that more than 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have benefited from the law.
"We know record clearance has a huge impact on people’s lives,” said Sharon Dietrich, Litigation Director at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. “This law will help ensure that hundreds of thousands more Pennsylvanians who have earned a second chance will have access to meaningful employment, housing, education, and other opportunities.”
The Clean Slate expansion will allow drug felony convictions to be sealed automatically after ten years and some property-related felony records to be sealed by petition after ten years without a subsequent conviction. The bill also shortens waiting periods for sealing misdemeanor and summary convictions. More information about HB 689 is available at mycleanslatepa.com.
Minnesota and New York also passed Clean Slate laws in 2023, and the list of states with automatic record clearance laws that meet The Clean Slate Initiative’s policy minimums is available at cleanslateinitiative.org/states. Michigan’s Clean Slate law went into effect in April, clearing more than one million records on the first day of implementation. Since April, the state has cleared an estimated 4.5 million records.
“It’s no surprise that states continue to advance Clean Slate policies,” noted Sheena Meade. “The benefits become more evident every day. Communities become safer. Economies grow stronger, and families are more empowered to build a better future.”
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The Clean Slate Initiative (CSI), a project of the New Venture Fund, is a non-profit organization that works to pass and implement laws that automatically clear eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free and expand eligibility for record clearance. More information about CSI is available at cleanslateinitiative.org/media.
