Clean Slate passes codes committee

The Clean Slate Act is moving ahead in the State Legislature.  Photo via Wikimedia Commons

By Rachel Vick

A bill championed by criminal justice reformers that aims to erase the criminal records of a number of New Yorkers is beginning to make its way through the State Legislature.

The Clean Slate act, sponsored by State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, was advanced by the Senate Codes Committee Monday, moving to the next steps toward its passage.

An earlier version of the bill was stalled in the committee, but advocates are hopeful that the legislation to automatically expunge and seal certain records will pass this session.

“We applaud [State Senate] for advancing the Clean Slate Act on the first day of session post-budget, marking immediate momentum for the bill,” the Clean Slate Coalition said in a statement. “With overwhelming support across the state, now is the time to break cycles of intergenerational poverty and allow all New Yorkers to contribute to their communities. We look forward to the bill’s passage this session to bring relief to New Yorkers who have been excluded from economic opportunity, stable housing, and higher education for far too long.”

Clean Slate would automatically seal conviction records three years after a person’s sentencing for misdemeanors and seven years from sentencing for felonies, not including time incarcerated. Individuals must have completed probation, parole or post-release supervision, and cannot have incurred any new convictions or pending charges during the waiting period.

More than 2 million New Yorkers carry records from a prior conviction, which they say affects their ability to move on once released — including their ability to secure a job and housing.

“I have all the skills and wherewithal to succeed in life, but my past convictions have meant that I don’t have a real second chance,” Center for Community Alternatives member Michelle DelVecchio told the Eagle in October 2021. “The current sealing law is a step in the right direction, but it’s simply not enough for the people like me who are not eligible or who are not able to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles of the current law.

Advocates and legislators alike celebrated the forward motion of the bill, sponsored by Queens Assemblymember Catalina Cruz in the other house.

“Labor [and] business leaders, advocates [and] local governments, faith leaders and a majority of New Yorkers agree: Clean Slate can't wait,” tweeted State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, who sponsored the earlier version of the bill. Today we move one step closer to a fair 2nd chance for all NYers.”