2015 Regular Session APPROVED
SENATE CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST NO. 3
BY SENATOR DORSEY-COLOMB
A CONCURRENT STUDY REQUEST
To request the Senate Committee on Judiciary C and the House Committee on the
Administration of Criminal Justice to meet and function as a joint committee to study
the feasibility of authorizing motions requesting the expungement of records to be
filed in forma pauperis.
WHEREAS, "expunge a record" means to remove a record of arrest or conviction,
photographs, fingerprints, disposition, or any other information of any kind from public
access; and
WHEREAS, "expunge a record" does not mean destruction of the record; and
WHEREAS, "in forma pauperis" means when a poor person cannot afford to pay the
costs of legal action as it proceeds, he is exempted from such payment; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana law provides for the expungement of certain arrest and
conviction records under limited circumstances; and
WHEREAS, obtaining an expungement of these records allows for the removal of
a record from public access but does not result in the destruction of the record; and
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the legislature that Title XXXIV of the Code of
Criminal Procedure will provide opportunities to break the cycle of criminal recidivism,
increase public safety, and assist the growing population of criminal offenders reentering the
community to establish a self-sustaining life through opportunities in employment; and
WHEREAS, the inability to obtain an expungement can prevent certain individuals
from obtaining gainful employment; and
WHEREAS, there is a need to study the cost of authorizing motions requesting the
expungement of a record to be filed in forma pauperis.
Page 1 of 2 SCSR NO. 3 APPROVED
THEREFORE, the Legislature of Louisiana requests that the Senate Committee on
Judiciary C and the House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice meet and
function as a joint committee to study the feasibility of authorizing motions requesting the
expungement of records to be filed in forma pauperis and deliver a written report of its
findings prior to the 2016 Regular Session, together with any proposals for legislation.
A copy of this Study Request shall be transmitted to the Director of the Louisiana
State Law Institute.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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