House Bill 1300 - Mississippi Clean Slate Act

• Creates automatic expungement for eligible criminal convictions upon completion of all terms and conditions, eliminating the requirement for individuals to petition the court.

• Establishes automatic expungement for dismissed or dropped charges, acquittals, and cases with no disposition within 30 days of dismissal or verdict.

• Removes filing fees for expungement petitions by repealing Section 99-19-72 and makes expungements automatic for first-time misdemeanor offenders and felons who have paid all fines and completed sentences (felonies after 5 years).

• Requires courts to automatically expunge charges if a person is arrested but not formally charged or prosecuted within 12 months, with expungement occurring within 30 days of the 12-month deadline.

• Maintains a nonpublic confidential database of expunged records accessible only to district attorneys, prosecutors, the Attorney General, and law enforcement for determining habitual offender status and subsequent expunction eligibility; effective July 1, 2024.