Supporters of the so-called Clean Slate Act rallied for its passage on Saturday in the waning days of the legislative session.
The closely watched bill would seal most criminal records in New York state after a certain window of time.
At a rally in the South Bronx, lawmakers and advocates made a final entreaty for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to secure its passage in that chamber. The legislative session in Albany ends on June 8, and while lawmakers say they’re hopeful for its passage, they’ve so far been tight-lipped on the holdup.
“We all know it’s all the right thing to do, and it doesn’t make any sense for us to hold it up any longer,” said Assemblymember Chantel Jackson of the Bronx, who is a co-sponsor on the bill and has rallied behind the cause for years. “This is going to stimulate our economy. This is going to make people whole … and we know that we reduce crime when we have people working and people who are housed.”
The bill passed the Senate last week and now awaits action in the Assembly. It’s a culmination of a yearslong push from criminal justice advocates who saw their hopes of its passage dashed last year over what lawmakers chalked up to technical issues.
“This does not make sense for us to delay any longer,” Jackson said in an interview on Saturday. “We need to do this now.”
The bill has the backing of the business community and labor unions, who view it as an economic issue. Gov. Kathy Hochul made it a priority in her budget proposal last year, though it was not included in the final plan.
Hochul and state legislative leaders said last week they were close to a deal, but public details have been sparse.
Most criminal records would be eligible to be sealed under the bill, with exceptions. Convicted sex offenders would not be eligible for sealing. Some agencies, particularly those in law enforcement, would still be able to view records internally.
Under the current version, misdemeanor offenders would be eligible for automatic sealing three years after the end of their sentence, as well as those who have incurred traffic infractions. Felony offenders would become eligible for sealing seven years after serving their sentences. Sealing is dependent upon no further charges after release.
The legislation has been opposed by Republicans who have attacked it as “pro-criminal” — a similar line of attack faced by other major criminal justice overhauls such as bail reform.
“The truth is people are just scared that we’re giving privileges to criminals,” Jackson said. “Some of my colleagues are worried that people who have felony records — they’ll be able to walk into any school and get a job working with kids. I’m like, that’s not how this bill works.”