PASSED THE HOUSE AND SENATE. PENDING THE GOVERNOR'S ACTION

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SB230 Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date.
Introduced by: Scott A. Surovell (Chief Patron) [D]

View the bill here.

Permits the expungement of police and court records relating to an initial charge when a person is arrested, charged, summonsed, or indicted for the commission of an infraction, a crime, or a civil offense and such person is not ultimately convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine the facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date. The bill also permits that a petition may request expungement of the police and court records for multiple charges arising out of separate transactions or occurrences.

The bill also provides that if a person was the subject of a delinquency or traffic proceeding and was not ultimately adjudicated delinquent or convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date, such matter is eligible for expungement.

Lastly, the bill (i) allows certain deferred dispositions to be eligible for expungement; (ii) requires the attorney for the Commonwealth, if he files an objection to the petition for expungement, to include the factual basis for such objection; (iii) provides that the unavailability of certain information shall not be a basis for refusing expungement; (iv) requires the court, if it finds potential manifest injustice to the petitioner, to order expungement; (v) provides that the existence of a prior conviction alone shall not be a sufficient basis to deny an expungement; (vi) allows any person whose petition for relief is the subject of an appeal to proceed under a pseudonym pursuant to relevant law; and (vii) allows specifically identified emergency or preliminary protective orders to be expunged. The bill has a delayed effective date of December 1, 2026.

1/28/2026 Senate -Courts of Justice committee substitute offered

2/04/2026 Reported from Senate -Courts of Justice committee with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11‑Y 4‑N)

2/12/2026 Reported from S-Finance and Appropriations committee with substitute (15‑Y 0‑N)

2/17/2026 Read third time and passed Senate (27‑Y 12‑N 0‑A)

2/24/2026 Referred to Committee for House-Courts of Justice

3/02/2026 Reported from House-Courts of Justice committee with substitute (20‑Y 2‑N)

3/04/2026 Passed House with substitute (84‑Y 15‑N 0‑A)

3/06/2026 House substitute agreed to by Senate

3/12/2026 Senate. Signed by President

3/12/2026 House. Signed by Speaker

3/14/2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

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