Pennsylvania legislators sent a measure that updates the 2018 Clean Slate Act to Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday with unanimous support.
House Bill 440 seals records for individuals unconditionally pardoned or fully acquitted following a trial. The Justice Action Network estimates the change affects between 1 percent and 5 percent of cases across the state each year.
“As we have seen with the Clean Slate Law, good public policy can have an impact across the Commonwealth,” Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, said. “House Bill 440 is a product of my working in a bipartisan, bicameral manner once again to help many Pennsylvanians become employed, productive members of our communities.”
Delozier and Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, championed the nation’s first Clean Slate law in 2018. Since then, the state automatically sealed 107,000 misdemeanor convictions and 16 million cases that never resulted in any conviction at all.
“The advent of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our economy, particularly amongst those employed in service and hospitality industries,” said Jenna Bottler, deputy director of Justice Action Network. “We must do everything in our power to ensure that bureaucracy and red tape do not stand in the way of access to employment. House Bill 440 is an important step towards that goal, prioritizing both public safety and increased opportunities for employment and economic prosperity.”
HB 440 also clarifies that records can be sealed after an individual pays restitution. Underlying court fees associated with the conviction do not bar a case from being sealed, Bottler said, potentially opening up the process to “tens of thousands” of residents.
“I was taken aback to see this huge bipartisan support … especially in this year of pandemic and upheavals and really crazy things happening at the national level,” she said. “To see legislators come across the aisle to work together on this is really heartwarming.”
