Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) introduced the Fresh Start Act, legislation he authored to enable non-violent federal offenders who have served their sentences and who are now law-abiding, productive members of society to have their convictions expunged from their records.
The bill allows offenders to apply for expungement to the court where they were sentenced and allows the United States Attorney for that District to submit recommendations to the court. Applicants who are denied could reapply once every two years. Once seven years have elapsed since an offender has completed his sentence, expungement would be automatically granted. However, the bill would exempt sex offenders and those who commit property or financial crimes worth more than $10,000.
Finally, the bill would also encourage states to pass their own expungement laws for state offenses. States that pass a substantially similar law would receive a 5 percent increase in their Byrne funding while those that do not would lose 5 percent of their Byrne funds.
Please check Congressman Cohen speaking about the bill here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyRMpgct2GI
Also, you can track the status of the bill here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-5492
Everyone please call your state reps everyday as well as Congressman Scott's offices. They're located at:
DC: (202) 225-8351
Richmond, VA (804) 644-4845
Newport News (757) 380-1000.
Congressman Scott chairs the committee in which the bill sits. Tell him you support it and would like him to set it up to be heard.
Keep making calls to you local reps and Congressman Scott's office in regards to bill H.R. 5492 and if you have not signed petition you may do so at:
http://bit.ly/bkDauy
After signing the online petition it'd also help to join a Facebook group dedicated to it which includes updates:
http://www.facebook.com/?page=1&sk=m...29604700400467
And a Yahoo! Group serving the same purpose:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/support_of_hr1529/
Everyone who's interested in the expungement of a criminal record should help lobby for H.R. 5492 because not only will this bill add that option on the federal level but it'd put forth a huge incentive for states to implement it as well.


