Felony expungement legislation signed into law

Gov. Matt Bevin, alongside many key legislators and groups including the Kentucky Chamber, signed House Bill 40 Tuesday afternoon—a bill to ease barriers for individuals seeking to re-enter society after having been convicted of a single non-violent Class D felony.

The version of House Bill 40 that passed both legislative chambers and was signed into law Tuesday requires a judge to vacate the felony before having it expunged, contains a five year waiting period and limits the number of felonies that would be applicable for expungement.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has pushed for common sense felony expungement legislation this session to give people with low level offenses a second chance and get them back into the workforce.

At the bill signing Tuesday, the governor, bill sponsor Rep. Darryl Owens and others thanked the Kentucky Smart on Crime coalition, a group which includes the Kentucky Chamber, ACLU of Kentucky and many others, for their work on the legislation this year.

Bevin said it is critical for a law like this to exist to give people a second chance.

“It is a great, great day when doing the right thing transcends all political boundaries and all ideology. And it is an honor and a privilege for me to be able to sign this into law today,” Gov. Bevin said.

Watch video coverage of the event below: