The bill amends the Arkansas Juvenile Code regarding the expungement of juvenile delinquency records. Specifically, it establishes that records of delinquency adjudications for felonies involving violence will be retained for ten years after the last adjudication or guilty plea, after which they may be expunged. Additionally, the bill introduces a new provision stating that records of all other delinquency adjudications will be automatically expunged upon the individual's twenty-first birthday.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the language surrounding the expungement process, allowing the court to expunge other juvenile records at any time, while removing the previous requirement to expunge all records upon the individual's twenty-first birthday in certain cases. The definition of "expunge" is also updated to mean "seal" as defined in a specific section of the law, rather than "destroy." These changes aim to streamline the expungement process and clarify the retention period for different types of juvenile records.

Statutes affected:
Old version SB487 Original - 3-17-2025 04:33 PM: 9-27-309(b)
Old version SB487 V2 - 3-20-2025 02:12 PM: 9-27-309(b)
SB 487: 9-27-309(b)