'Clean Slate' Advances In Pennsylvania Legislature
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- The sponsor of "clean slate" legislation in the state House is optimistic a bill that would allow for automatically sealing criminal records involving minor offenses will get to the governor later this year.
The clean slate legislation builds on a law enacted in 2016 that allowed individuals convicted of low-level, non-violent misdemeanors to petition a court to have the record sealed.
Now, the proposal would have those records sealed automatically if the person remains crime free for ten years. The state Senate has already passed a clean slate bill.
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On Tuesday, the state House Judiciary Committee passed its own version, addressing what the sponsor – Republican Sheryl Delozier – says are some clarifications sought by law enforcement.
"Those that support this bill are very varied, which to me means there's a good bill moving forward," she said.
Delozier says the House committee's changes to the legislation were made in consultation with the Senate and she foresees passage of a clean slate bill by both chambers by the end of the year.
