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6/16/2025
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House approves Cruz bill that reduces time for misdemeanor expungements
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STATE HOUSE – The House today approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Cherie L. Cruz that would reduce the amount of time needed to secure an expungement for nonviolent felony and misdemeanor convictions.
“Criminal convictions follow individuals around for years long after a sentence has been served, which negatively affects job and housing prospects that in turn forces people to rely on government assistance programs to survive. This bill acknowledges that people make mistakes, yet those mistakes should not affect a person for their entire life or lock them out of financial mobility. It’s about second-chances and showing compassion for individuals who have paid their debt to society and who just want to move on with their lives,” said Representative Cruz (D-Dist. 58, Pawtucket).
The legislation (2025-H 5441) would reduce the time for expungements to three years for a single misdemeanor and five years for felonies and multiple misdemeanors.
The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration, where Sen. Jacob E. Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence) has introduced the legislation (2025-S 0875).
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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