HARRISBURG, Pa. — Lawmakers in Harrisburg celebrated the third expansion of a law Pennsylvania pioneered that’s sealed more than 43 million criminal records.
Governor Josh Shapiro ceremoniously signed the bill dubbed Clean Slate 3.0 into law alongside members of both chambers.
The measure officially became law in December.
"We believe in second chances and we believe in opportunity for all Pennsylvanians," Shapiro said.
Clean Slate 3.0 extends the state’s records expungement program to non-violent drug felonies.
It will now automatically seal misdemeanor records after five years crime-free and wipe away certain felony drug crimes after ten years without a conviction.
"Even after we did the first iteration of record sealing, a lot of people didn’t take advantage of it," said State Rep. Jordan Harris, a Democrat who represents Philadelphia. "They didn’t know about it, they thought they couldn’t afford it. So why don’t we just move that barrier right out of the way."
Pennsylvania businesses could benefit from the legislation.
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry said the state has just 74 skilled workers for every 100 jobs and the law’s expansion could cultivate more opportunity.
"Why do people recidivate? They don’t have a good job. Why do people recidivate? They don’t have a good place to live. Why do people recidivate? They need more education," said State Rep. Sheryl Delozier, a Republican representing Cumberland County. "Clean Slate has a direct impact on those three issues."
Pennsylvania State Police will begin expunging more than 6 million misdemeanor records this week, hoping to have the full system running in the coming months.
"We value our people no matter where they come from and no matter what that one bad day may have looked like," Shapiro said.
More than 1.2 million Pennsylvanians had records sealed under previous versions of the Clean Slate Act.
Visit the state’s Clean Slate eligibility webpage here.