HCSHB953--PROCEEDINGSRESULTINGFROMCRIMINALCONDUCT
SPONSOR: Davidson
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonEconomicDevelopmentbyavoteof13to0with1
votingpresent.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
953.
Currently,inacriminalprosecutionformurderinthefirst
degree,thecourtmustinstructthejurythat,intheeventit
cannotreachaconsensusonpunishment,thecourtmayassess
punishmentincludingdeath.Thisbillrepealsthatprovisionand
providesaprocedureforwhenajurycannotreachaunanimous
decisiononpunishment.
Thebillalsoestablishesanautomaticrecord-clearingprocess,
beginningAugust28,2030,forclosingofrecordspertainingtoa
"cleanslateeligibleoffense",whichisanoffensenotexcluded
fromeligibilityforexpungementandoffensesforwhichthe
Governorhasgrantedafullpardon.Anindividualcanbegranted
morethanoneexpungementunderthisbill,subjecttospecified
parametersandexceptions. BeginningAugust28,2030,theOffice
ofStateCourtsAdministrator(OSCA)mustidentifyandtransmitto
thecentralrepositoryallrecordsofchargesandconvictions
eligibleforexpungementwithin30daysoftherecordbecoming
eligibleforautomaticexpungement. Ifarecordiseligiblefor
expungementonorbeforeAugust28,2025,itmustbeidentifiedand
expungedbyAugust28,2030.Ifacircuitcourtdeterminesa
recordisnoteligibleforexpungementwithoutapetition,the
courtmustnotifyOSCAwithin30daysandspecifythereasonsupon
whichthecourtreliedtomakethedetermination.
Ifacourtfinds,afteramotion,aconvictionwasimproperlyor
erroneouslyexpungedunderthisbill,thecourtmustreinstatethe
conviction.
BeginningAugust28,2030,OSCAmustreportyearlycertaindatato
theJudiciarycommitteesoftheSenateandtheHouseof
Representatives. Acreditbureaucanreportrecordsofarrests,
indictmentspendingtrial,andconvictionsfornomorethanseven
yearsfromthedateofreleaseorparole.Acreditbureaucanno
longerreportsuchrecordsifatanytimeafterconviction,
indictment,orarrestitislearnedthatafullpardonor
expungementhasbeengrantedforsuchconviction. Thisbillprovidesthatapersongrantedanexpungementmust
discloseanyexpungedoffenseifthedisclosureofthatinformation
isnecessarytocompleteanapplicationforemploymentwithany
federallyinsuredbank,savingsinstitution,creditunion,or
entityengagedinthebusinessofinsurance.
ThebillcreatesintheStateTreasurythe"MissouriExpungement
Fund",whichisafunddedicatedtothecreation,operation,and
maintenanceoftheprogram.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythisbillensuresthedecisionfora
deathpenaltysentenceislefttothejuryofpeers.Proponents
saythisbillensuresthatifthejuryofpeersdisagreesona
deathpenaltysentence,judgeswillnothavetheabilityto
overridethatsplitdecision. Supporterssaythatifindividuals
haveservedtheirtime,thereshouldbeagenuineshowofgood
faiththattheyhavedonetheirtimeandcanreintegrateinto
society. Thisbillensuresthat,oncerestitutionhasbeenpaid,
timeisserved,andtheformerlyincarceratedindividualis
eligibleforexpungement,thepersonwillhavetheabilityto
reintegrateintosociety.Proponentsalsosaythisbilladdresses
theissueofpreviouslyconvictedpeopleendinguphomelessand
unemployedbecausecriminalrecordsthatareeligiblefor
expungementarecheckedforemploymentandhousing. Thecurrent
expungementforeligibleformerlyincarceratedindividualsisvery
slow.Thisautomatestheexpungementprocessthatisalreadyin
lawandensurespreviouslyincarceratedindividualsareableto
reintegrateintotheworkforce. Supporterssayveteranswhohada
lowpointarestillbeingjudgedforthatdarkpointintheir
lives.Thiswillallowveteranstoreentertheworkforce.
Proponentsalsosaythat,byautomatingtheexpungementprocess,
thisbillwouldbeaboontoMissouri'sworkforceandeconomy.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Davidson;
TommieHollinsSr,"NAACP,Unit4008-B,PulaskiCounty,Mo";Angela
Viviano;MissouriBudgetProject;Builders'ofKCaChapterofThe
AGC;RochelleKaskowitz;ArchdioceseofSt.LouisPeace&Justice
Commission;MalloryRusch,EmpowerMissouri;MissouriChamberof
CommerceandIndustry;PattyBerger;PatrickBenson;MLSmith,
MissouriJusticeCoalition;MissouriNAACP;MissouriansToAbolish
TheDeathPenalty;CaraStark,JEDunnConstruction;JeffStack,
Mid-MoFellowshipofReconciliation; MissouriMunicipalLeague;and
MissouriCatholicConference. OPPONENTS: ThosewhoopposethebillsaythatMissouridoesnot
havethetoolstoimplementthisprocess. Opponentssaythisbill
wouldworkfordefendant-basedsystems,butMissouri'ssystemis
case-based.Thesystemwouldhavetobereconfigured.Thosewho
opposethebillalsosaytheyfindtheprovisionregardingimmunity
foremployerswhohireanindividualwhosecriminalrecordhasbeen
expungedtobeproblematic.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereJudicialConferenceof
Missouri;MissouriAssociationofTrialAttorneys;ArnieC.
Dienoff.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythebilldoesnothave
thesamelanguageasSB19.Languagewillbeaddedaboutfinancial
institutionsandinsurancecompanies.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwereMissouriBankersAssociation;
andMissouriInsuranceCoalition.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.