Reschenthaler calls for House action on Clean Slate Act

U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA) last week urged his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to take action on a bipartisan bill he introduced to keep convicted criminals from reoffending.

Specifically, Rep. Reschenthaler pointed to the Clean Slate Act of 2019, H.R. 2348, which he introduced in April 2019 with U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) to automatically seal a person’s federal criminal record if he or she has been convicted of certain nonviolent drug crimes, among other provisions.

“Efforts such as the Clean Slate Act show we can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime,” said Rep. Reschenthaler. “In reducing recidivism, we are eliminating future crimes and making our communities safer and stronger.”

H.R. 2348 remains under consideration in the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, which on Feb. 27 considered the bill during a hearing entitled, “Returning Citizens: Challenges and Opportunities for Reentry.”

If enacted, H.R. 2348 also would also create a streamlined process to allow individuals to petition the courts to seal their records for other qualifying, nonviolent crimes, Reschenthaler said during the hearing, and would eliminate “one of the primary barriers to housing, education and employment for individuals with criminal records.”

Rep. Blunt Rochester also told members during the hearing that she was pleased that the bill “was one of the solutions that the Judiciary Committee considered in our nation’s approach to reducing recidivism in today’s hearing.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues in continuing to advance this critical piece of legislation so that the American Dream can become a real possibility for our returning citizens,” she said.

The bill is endorsed by a bipartisan coalition, including the American Conservative Union Foundation, FreedomWorks, and the Center for American Progress.

“I will continue to work with Representative Blunt Rochester to get this bill over the finish line so we can help those reentering society fully participate and contribute in their communities,” said Rep. Reschenthaler.