HCS#2HB953--PROCEEDINGSRESULTINGFROMCRIMINALCONDUCT
SPONSOR: Davidson
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonEconomicDevelopmentbyavoteof13to0with1
votingpresent. Votedtoreturntothecommitteeoforiginbythe
StandingCommitteeonRules-Administrative byavoteof8to0.
Voted"DoPasswithHCS#2"bytheStandingCommitteeonEconomic
Developmentbyavoteof12to0with1votingpresent. Voted"Do
Pass"bytheStandingCommitteeonRules-Administrative byavote
of9to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstitute#2for
HB953.
ThisbillrequirestheJointCommitteeontheJusticeSystemto
establishanAdvisoryCommitteeonExpungementandRecordClearing.
TheAdvisoryCommitteewillreviewcurrentMissourilawson
expungement,recordclearing,orrecordsealing,andmake
recommendations anddeterminetheinvestmentsneededregarding
harmonizingandstreamliningtheproceduresfortheseactions,
alongwiththetechnologyneededtostreamlinetheprocessusing
technologyforrecordsthatcanbeexpungedwithoutthefilingofa
petition. BySeptember1,2026,theAdvisoryCommitteemustsubmit
areporttotheChairandViceChairoftheJointCommitteeforthe
distributiontotheGeneralAssemblythatincludesanystatutory
revisionsneededtoharmonizeandstreamlineprocedures(Section
21.880,RSMo).
Thebillspecifiesthat,startingJanuary1,2030,theOfficeof
StateCourtsAdministrator(OSCA)mustsubmitanannualreportto
theJointCommitteeontheJusticeSystem,theHouseJudiciary
Committee,andtheSenateJudiciaryandCivilandCriminal
JurisprudenceCommittee. Thisreportmustincludespecified
statisticalinformation,includingthenumberofeligibleoffenses
identified,thenumberofrecordsobjectedtoforautomatic
expungement,andthenumberofexpungementordersissued(Section
476.411).
Currently,inacriminalprosecutionformurderinthefirst
degree,thecourtmustinstructthejurythat,intheeventit
cannotreachaconsensusonpunishment,thecourtmayassess
punishmentincludingdeath.Thisbillrepealsthatprovisionand
providesaprocedureforwhenajurycannotreachaunanimous
decisiononpunishment(Section565.030).
Currently,eligibleindividualsareallowedtopetitionacourtfor
theexpungementofeligiblecriminalrecords. Thisprocess includesawaitingperiodafterthecompletionofthesentence,the
absenceofpendingcharges,andevidenceofrehabilitation. The
billprovidesforanalternativepetitionprocessforanyperson
eligibleforautomaticexpungementwhohasfiledapetitionfor
expungementunderthecurrentpetitionprocess(Section610.140).
Thisbillalsoestablishesanautomaticrecord-clearingor
expungementprocessforclosingrecordspertainingtoa“clean
slateeligibleoffense”,whichisanoffensenotexcludedfromthe
eligibilityforexpungement. Thisprocesswillbephasedinandan
individualcanbegrantedmorethanoneexpungementunderthis
bill,subjecttospecifiedparametersandexpectations. Thisbill
alsoprovidesthat,onaquarterlybasis,theOSCAmustidentify
recordsthathavebecomeeligibleinthelastquarterandmake
theserecordsaccessibletothecentralrepositoryandevery
prosecutingagencyintheStatewithin100daysoftherecord
becomingeligibleforautomatedexpungement. Ifacourtfinds,
afteramotion,aconvictionwasimproperlyorerroneouslyexpunged
underthisprovision,thecourtmustreinstatetheconviction
(Section610.141).
Thebillprovidesthatacreditbureaucanreportrecordsof
arrests,indictmentspendingtrial,andconvictionsfornomore
thansevenyearsfromthedateofreleaseorparole.Acredit
bureaucannolongerreporttheserecordsifatanytimeafter
conviction,indictment,orarrestitislearnedthatafullpardon
orexpungementhasbeengrantedfortheconviction(Section
610.143).
ThisbillcreatesintheStateTreasurythe"MissouriExpungement
Fund",whichisafunddedicatedtothecreation,operation,and
maintenanceoftheprogram. OSCA,theDepartmentofPublicSafety,
andtheInformationTechnologyServicesDivisionwithintheOffice
ofAdministration canexpendmoneyfromtheFund,upon
appropriation(Section610.144).
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;
MissouriBudgetProject;Builders'ofKcAChapteroftheAGC;
RochelleKaskowitz;SamuelH.Lee,ArchdioceseofSt.LouisPeace
andJusticeCommission;MalloryRusch,EmpowerMissouri;Missouri
ChamberofCommerceandIndustry;PattyBerger;PatrickBenson;ML
Smith,MissouriJusticeCoalition;MissouriNAACP,Missouriansto
AbolishtheDeathPenalty;CaraStark,JeDunnConstruction;Jeff
Stack,Mid-MoFellowshipofReconciliation; andMissouriCatholic
Conference.
OPPONENTS: ThosewhoopposethebillsaythatMissouridoesnot
havethetoolstoimplementthisprocess. Opponentssaythisbill
wouldworkfordefendant-basedsystems,butMissouri'ssystemis
case-based.Thesystemwouldhavetobereconfigured. Thosewho
opposethebillalsosaytheyfindtheprovisionregardingimmunity
foremployerswhohireanindividualwhosecriminalrecordhasbeen
expungedtobeproblematic.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereEricD.Jennings,
JudicialConferenceofMissouri;MissouriAssociationofTrial
Attorneys.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythebilldoesnothave
thesamelanguageasSB19.Languagewillbeaddedaboutfinancial
institutionsandinsurancecompanies.
TestifyinginpersononthebillwereMissouriBankersAssociation;
MissouriInsuranceCoalition.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.