The bill amends sections 12-1.3-2 and 12-1.3-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-1.3 entitled "Expungement of Criminal Records." It introduces changes to the process of expungement for both felonies and misdemeanors. Notably, the bill allows for automatic expungement of misdemeanor records by operation of law after five years from the completion of the sentence, provided the individual is a first offender and has not been convicted of a crime of violence. Additionally, the bill stipulates that all outstanding court-imposed or court-related monetary obligations must be paid or waived by the court for felonies, while for misdemeanors, these obligations are waived.

The bill also outlines the criteria for granting expungement, including the absence of any new convictions or pending criminal proceedings, the fulfillment of all court-imposed obligations, and the demonstration of good moral character. It specifies that the court may order expungement without a motion and by operation of law under certain conditions. Furthermore, the bill provides for the expungement of records related to offenses that have been decriminalized after the date of conviction. The act would take effect upon passage and emphasizes the automatic expungement of non-violent misdemeanor records five years after sentence completion.