Revised Clean Slate Act expected to pass Thursday in Albany

A state bill to seal the criminal records of some New Yorkers who have served their time appeared Tuesday to be heading toward passage after lawmakers reached a deal paring down the scope of the legislation.

In the new version of the Clean Slate Act, murder convictions and most other Class A felonies would not be eligible to be sealed, and felons would need to be at least eight years removed from the end of their sentences to have their records shielded.

Misdemeanor convictions would be eligible to be sealed three years after the end of a sentence. Records would generally be sealed from the view of potential employers, but not law enforcement.

Previous versions of the bill permitted felony convictions, including for murder and other Class A felonies, to be sealed after seven years. As in past drafts, the edited legislation excludes sex crimes.

The criminal justice bill repeatedly ran aground in Albany in past years. But lawmakers hammered out a deal in recent days that is set to come to a vote this week.

The legislation is all but certain to pass the state Senate and Assembly on Thursday, said Mike Murphy, a spokesman for the Senate’s Democratic majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester.

“The Senate is 100% doing it,” Murphy said, adding that he expected the Assembly to follow suit.

If passed and signed by Gov. Hochul, the bill could provide a rare win for the ruling Democrats in a quiet close to Albany’s legislative session.

The revised text was published late Monday. The session ends Thursday.

“I’ve supported Clean Slate, but there’s some technical changes,” Hochul said at a parade on Sunday. “I feel confident we’re going to work something out.”

Hochul spokesman Avi Small said in a Tuesday statement that she “has been working with the Legislature to strengthen the Clean Slate Act, and we are reviewing their most recent bill draft.”

Republicans have opposed the legislation.

The Senate’s Republican minority leader, Rob Ortt of Lockport, tweeted Monday that Albany Democrats were “putting their criminal-first agenda” ahead of public safety.

“Instead of working together for safety and affordability, they will spend the final week of session debating on how to make convicted criminals’ lives easier,” Ortt added.

[ Alvin Bragg and Kathy Wylde: The Clean Slate Act is good for the whole society ]

Still, the bill has deep support from Democrats and business leaders. Supporters say obstacles to job seekers with criminal records shortchange New York’s economy by billions of dollars each year.

“When we clear the old legal records of those who are trying to move forward in their lives, we make our communities safer and the economy stronger,” Adrienne Adams, the Democratic speaker of the New York City Council, said in a statement last week.