Congressional Comm. Approves Expungement For Prior Cannabis Convictions & Other Criminal Justice Reforms

House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) approved a series of criminal justice reform bills, including bipartisan proposals to expunge records of those convicted of prior federal marijuana crimes, to provide funding to states that implement automatic expungement systems and codify retroactive relief for people incarcerated due to on crack-cocaine sentencing disparities, reported Marijuana Moment, noting that Wednesday’s action comes some five months after the full chamber passed a cannabis legalization bill for the second time that also included expungements provisions.

The House Judiciary Committee wrote this in a Tweet: "It is estimated that 112 million Americans have a criminal record—that is 1 out of every 3 people. The existence of a criminal record, even just an arrest, can present lifetime barriers to obtaining jobs, housing, and education, and put other opportunities out of reach."

The Judiciary Committee broke the news of the passage of expungement and other criminal justice reform bills with this tweet:

BREAKING: @HouseJudiciary has PASSED H.R. 5651, the Fresh Start Act of 2022. pic.twitter.com/xN4SwcuGLu

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 21, 2022

The “Fresh Start Act,” sponsored by Rep. David Trone (D-MD) would provide federal funding of up to $5 million in aid to states that create their own systems of automated expungement, thus eliminating having each person pay fees to receive relief.

Marijuana Moment pointed out, "Though it does not specify the types of crimes that would warrant relief, a growing number of states are taking steps to implement systems of automatic expungement for marijuana convictions, and those states would benefit from the new funding."