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5/28/2026
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Senate passes Quezada bills to reduce time people must wait to expunge records
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STATE HOUSE — The Senate today passed two bills introduced by Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence) that would expand expungement opportunities for individuals who have completed their sentences by reducing the time that person must wait in order to clear their record.
“For people who have paid their debt to society, there remain barriers to employment, housing and the necessities of life,” said Senator Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence). “Criminal sentences of the past should not put a burden on these people for the future. The expungement of these records will give them opportunities that otherwise would have been hampered by sentences that have already been carried out.”
The first (2026-S 2964) would make persons convicted of petty misdemeanors and convicted of simple possession of controlled substances eligible to have their records expunged three years after completion of their sentence.
The second (2026-S 2983) would permit the expungement of records five years after the imposition of sentence for misdemeanors and 10 years after the imposition of sentence for felonies, and if the sentence is greater than 10 years, then upon successful completion of the sentence.
Angela M. Yingling, legislative liaison for Rhode Island’s Public Defenders Office, testified in support of the bills, telling the Senate Judiciary Committee, “Research indicates that laws expanding expungement opportunities for individuals enhance public safety, since people who receive expungements have low recidivism rates. The same research demonstrates that individuals with expunged records exhibit an overall crime rate lower than the general population. The research stresses how important it is to recognize and support individuals who have successfully reintegrated into society after completing their sentences.”
The measures now move to the House of Representatives for consideration.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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