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Easier Criminal Record Clearing: New Opportunities for Citizens

This act aims to make it easier for citizens to clear or seal old criminal records that hinder their return to normal life. Through grants to states, this process is intended to become automatic and independent of fees, potentially opening new employment and housing opportunities for many individuals.
Key points
States can receive up to $5 million to modernize systems for automatic criminal record expungement or sealing.
The record clearing process will not be delayed due to unpaid fines or fees.
The act aims to help individuals with criminal records find employment and housing, improving their life situation.
States will be required to report data on the number of individuals benefiting from automatic record clearing, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_S_3049
Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD]
Process start date: 2021-10-21
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Fresh Start Act of 2021

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_S_3049.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-10-21.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • States can receive up to $5 million to modernize systems for automatic criminal record expungement or sealing.
  • The record clearing process will not be delayed due to unpaid fines or fees.
  • The act aims to help individuals with criminal records find employment and housing, improving their life situation.
  • States will be required to report data on the number of individuals benefiting from automatic record clearing, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-29.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

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