The bill amends Section 12-1.3-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-1.3, which is entitled "Expungement of Criminal Records." It introduces a new definition for "misdemeanor" within the context of expungement, specifying that it includes crimes previously classified as felonies at the time of sentencing but later reclassified as misdemeanors by the General Assembly before the motion to expunge is brought. This change allows for certain crimes that have been downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors to be eligible for expungement.

The bill also provides definitions for terms such as "crime of violence," "expungement of records and records of conviction," "first offender," and "law enforcement agency," and clarifies what is included in "records" and "records of conviction and/or probation." The act is set to take effect upon passage, indicating that the changes to the expungement process would be applicable immediately after the bill becomes law. The purpose of the act is to redefine misdemeanors for expungement purposes and to make certain reclassified felonies eligible for expungement under the relevant sections of the law.

Statutes affected:
2227: 12-1.3-1