13th District Congressman Rodney Davis has introduced a bill to help people with the expungement process. Davis has introduced the Fresh Start Act of 2021. It’s a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation that would increase funding for automated record-sealing and expungement processes in state court systems.
Davis said in a press release that individuals looking to rebuild their lives after serving their time shouldn’t have to face barriers for things like employment, housing, and education.
House Resolution 5651 would allow states that have record-sealing or expungement laws in place to apply for a federal grant to help improve their automated record infrastructure. The bill would authorize $50 million each year for the next 5 years for states to automate their criminal records programs. States can apply for up to $5 million, 10% of which will be for planning and research, with the remaining funds for implementation. States would then be required to not delay the process and provide detailed reports broken down according to race, ethnicity, and gender.
The resolution is currently before the House Judiciary Committee.