The Clean Slate Act recognizes the talent, skills, and potential of individuals who meet the requirements, ensuring they can continue contributing to their communities and workplaces.

By sealing their records, people are empowered to fully engage in the workforce, pursue higher education, and achieve financial stability.

When individuals have the opportunity to move forward without the burden of a past conviction, they are better positioned to support their families and invest in their communities.

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The Clean Slate Act helps families gain stability by ensuring parents can fairly compete for better job opportunities, housing, and educational resources for their children.

The Clean Slate Act helps reduce the likelihood of recidivism by ensuring individuals have a clear path to reintegrate into society and the workforce.

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Public safety is strengthened when individuals have a real chance to succeed - making it possible for them to stay on a positive trajectory and contribute to safer, more resilient communities.

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Having a job is critical for breaking the cycle of crime and keeping communities safe. Employment is among the strongest, evidence-based solutions for public safety.

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The Clean Slate Act is about unlocking the potential of millions of people who have already proven their commitment to moving forward.

By removing barriers, we allow individuals to apply their talents, skills, and experiences to jobs and community leadership roles, creating a ripple effect of positive change that benefits society as a whole.

The Clean Slate Act would open doors for individuals to fully participate in the economy, leading to increased workforce participation and higher earning potential.

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As more people gain access to meaningful employment, local businesses benefit from a broader pool of skilled workers, while the overall economy grows through increased consumer spending and tax contributions.

• Automatically seal federal records for people convicted of simple possession or any federal non-violent offense involving marijuana.
• Create a new procedure that allows individuals to petition the United States Courts to seal records for nonviolent offenses that are not automatically sealed.
• Require, within 180 days, automatic sealing of arrest records and other related records for individuals that have been acquitted, exonerated, or never had charges filed against them.
• Require individuals to wait two years to re-petition the court if their initial request was denied.
• Authorize district courts to appoint a public defender to help indigent petitioners file and successfully seal their records.
• Protect employers from liability for any claim arising out of the misconduct of an employee if the misconduct relates to a sealed criminal record.

• Allow sealing sex offense records.
• Allow those convicted of terrorism, treason, or other national security-related offenses to seal their records.
• Allow for the sealing of records if a petitioner has been convicted of other violent crimes.

Primary Sponsors

• Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
• Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)

Co-Sponsors

• Rep. Trone
• Rep. Armstrong
• Rep. Kuster
• Rep. Donalds
• Rep. Moore
• Rep. Reschenthaler
• Rep. Williams
• Rep. Peters
• Rep. Moran

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• American Conservative Union
• Brennan Center for Justice
• Business Roundtable
• Center for American Progress
• The Clean Slate Initiative
• Code for America
• Community Legal Services of
• Philadelphia
• Due Process Institute
• Faith and Freedom Coalition
• JPMorgan Chase
• Justice Action Network (JAN)
• LinkedIn
• Responsible Business Initiative for Justice
• Right on Crime
• R Street
• Third Way

• 1 in 3 adults in the United States - 70 to 100 million people - have an arrest or conviction record that limits their ability to work, obtain housing, and engage in civic life. Having a record, even an arrest record, is a significant barrier to economic mobility.
  (FBI III)
• Less than 10% of people get their records cleared within five years of becoming eligible. (Paper Prisons Initiative)
• America now has roughly the same number of people with arrest or conviction records as it does four-year college graduates. (National Center for Education Statistics)

• 94% of employers use background checks when hiring. (National Consumer Law Center)
• 90% of landlords use background checks on prospective tenants. (National Consumer Law Center)
• 72% of colleges and universities use background checks on prospective students. (Researchers from the University of Minnesota)

• The estimated loss in gross domestic product every year resulting from shutting people with records out of the workforce is $78 - $87 billion. (Center for Economic and Policy Research)
• There are more than 42,000 state and federal regulatory restrictions that limit the ability of people with a record to access meaningful opportunities to build a better life. (National Reentry Resource Center)
• On average, people who received record clearance were 11% more likely to be employed and saw an over 22% increase in income within one year. (Researchers at the University of Michigan)
• An arrest or conviction record reduces a job seeker’s chance of getting a callback or job offer by nearly 50 percent. (Research published in American Academy of Political and Social Science)

Since 2018, 12 states have passed Clean Slate legislation.

• Pennsylvania (2018)
  Utah (2019)
  New Jersey (2019)
  Michigan (2020)
  Connecticut (2020)
  Delaware (2021)
  Virginia (2021)
  Oklahoma (2022)
  Colorado (2022)
  California (2022)
  Minnesota (2023)
  New York (2023)

14 million people are eligible to receive full record clearance in the 12 states that have passed Clean Slate legislation.

• 37% of eligible people are people of color.
• A total of 15 million people are eligible for full or partial clearance in those states.

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If there’s an article about community safety, employment opportunities, or even the election, use that as your starting point.

If it was an article about the election, you could mention how not all politics have to be divisive and point to Clean Slate as an issue that continues to gain bipartisan support.

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For an article about community safety, you could lead with reducing recidivism as an approach lawmakers should prioritize, note how meaningful employment is a key element of reducing recidivism, and point to Clean Slate as the needed solution.

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Example:

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Let’s pretend that an article written by Octavius Slater titled “Charlotte's workforce continues to change” ran in The Charlotte Observer on September 27. A good opening for a letter to the editor could look like:

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In “Charlotte's workforce continues to change” (Sept. 27), Octavius Slate wrote about the challenges employers in the area have finding skilled workers. Employers shared several reasons why the workforce is so depleted but failed to mention how many well-qualified applicants aren’t even considered for positions because of a past arrest or conviction on their record - often long after they have paid their debt to society.

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• Define Clean Slate: Briefly explain that Clean Slate legislation clears eligible criminal records for people who meet the requirements after a certain period of time, allowing people to move forward without the constant barrier of their past.
• Highlight the impact: "These barriers perpetuate poverty and inequality, making it difficult for people to support their families and contribute to their communities."

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• Focus on Clean Slate's positive impact: "Clean Slate gives people a second chance. It boosts our economy by allowing more people to work, and it strengthens our communities by reducing recidivism."
• Tie it to local concerns: Mention any specific examples from the Advocacy Day that resonated with you or are particularly relevant to your community.

• Urge readers to contact their legislators: "I urge your readers to contact their state representatives and senators and ask them to support Clean Slate legislation."
• Be specific: If there is a particular bill being considered, reference it by name.

• Aim for 150-200 words. Most letters to the editor have strict word limits.

• Edit carefully. Ensure your writing is clear, concise, and free of errors.