HB 1599 Summary

• Allows persons arrested but not convicted, or whose convictions were vacated on appeal, to petition for expungement of records one year after arrest (or earlier with prosecutor consent).

• Requires sealing or redaction of records in state criminal history repositories, courts, and law enforcement agencies upon expungement, with limited exceptions for prosecutors, defense attorneys, and federal agencies.

• Mandates redaction of the person's name from appellate opinions and memorandum decisions posted on the court's computer system, similar to juvenile case redactions, while allowing courts to retain unredacted copies.

• Prohibits information about arrests not resulting in conviction or vacated convictions from being placed in criminal history databases, except for specific authorized uses such as bar admission investigations.

• Effective July 1, 2015; does not affect sex offender registration requirements, driver's license suspensions, or firearm possession restrictions for domestic violence convictions.