Michigan has made some great strides towards removing employment barriers caused by criminal records this year—Senator Jeff Irwin recently introduced a bill that would automatically clear low-level marijuana misdemeanors. And now, a bundle of six bills would allow even more citizens to get a second chance on life.

A bipartisan group has proposed a number of changes that would expand the criteria for qualifying for an expunction. Current laws allow offenders to expunge up to one felony or two misdemeanors. Leaders argue that this simply isn’t enough. Under the six-bill package, the following changes would be implemented:

1.     Expand the number of people who qualify for expungement. This legislation would allow people with as many as three felony convictions to have them expunged if they’re all non-violent. If someone does have an assaultive crime on their record, they would be allowed to expunge up to two felonies and four misdemeanors.

2.     Automatically expunge convictions for certain offenders ten years after the justice system stops monitoring them. Again, this is only for non-assaultive or non-serious crimes.

3.     Allow expungement for marijuana convictions that are now permissible. Since marijuana is now legal in the state of Michigan, it makes sense to scrub records of those dated “crimes.”

4.     Allow forgiveness for multiple acts committed in a single 24-hour period. This would consolidate acts that are “similar in nature that were committed in the same act” into a single felony. Only for non-assaultive or non-serious crimes.

5.     Allow for expungement of certain traffic offenses. Not available for driving under the influence or offenses that caused death or serious injury to others

6.     Adopt shorter eligibility periods for misdemeanors. People could file to expunge more than one felony after seven years. A serious misdemeanor or felony could be removed after five years, and other misdemeanors could be expunged after three.

These reforms would affect thousands of Michiganders who have met barriers due to their criminal history. The changes are backed by representatives from both parties who know that citizens are more than just a mark on their records. If passed, ex-offenders could get a second chance to succeed without the burden of a criminal record.

If you’re eager to experience life with a clean background check, reach out to Easy Expunctions to see if you qualify for an expunction or non-disclosure. We can help you get back on your feet for less cost than that of a traditional lawyer!