SB153 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rodger SmithermanSenator

Democrat

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Expungement, to expand the expungement of criminal records to include convictions of certain misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, municipal ordinances, and felony offenses, to increase the filing fee for expungements, Secs. 15-27-1, 15-27-2, 15-27-4, 15-27-5, 15-27-7 to 15-27-10, inclusive, 15-27-19 am'd.

Summary

SB153 would expand who can have criminal records expunged, raise the filing fee, and update how expunged records are stored and shared.

What This Bill Does

The bill broadens expungement eligibility to include more misdemeanor, traffic, municipal ordinance, and felony convictions. It sets specific conditions and waiting periods for when expungement can be sought (including after dismissal, not guilty verdicts, or completion of certain programs, with human trafficking exceptions) and allows expungement after pardons for felonies, subject to restrictions. It also creates an administrative filing fee with designated fund allocations and establishes new record-keeping and archiving rules to protect expunged records and limit their use, including removing them from interstate databases. The act is named the REDEEMER Act and has an effective date a few months after passage.

Who It Affects

• Individuals charged with or convicted of misdemeanors, traffic offenses, municipal ordinance violations, or certain felonies who could petition to expunge their records under the new, expanded rules.
• Criminal justice agencies and government entities (e.g., circuit courts, district attorneys, the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, the Department of Forensic Sciences, Public Safety Fund, and other related funds) that will process expungement petitions, collect the filing fee, and manage the archiving and restricted access of expunged records.

Key Provisions

• Expands expungement to include convictions for certain misdemeanor offenses, traffic violations, municipal ordinances, and felony offenses.
• Sets detailed eligibility and waiting periods for expungement, including after dismissal, not guilty verdicts, nolle prosqui, and completion of certain court programs; includes additional allowances for human trafficking victims.
• Allows expungement of felony records in specific circumstances, such as after a pardon with restoration of rights, and with restrictions (not violent offenses, not sex offenses, not offenses involving moral turpitude, not serious traffic offenses).
• Implements an administrative filing fee (listed as $300 or $500 in the bill) with specified distribution to various funds and offices, and provides indigent relief options and payment plans.
• Creates strict record-keeping rules: expunged records must be archived and protected by the state, may not be used for non-criminal justice purposes, and must be removed from interstate databases when possible.
• The bill is titled the REDEEMER Act and includes non-substantive technical revisions to update code language; it acknowledges potential local-funding considerations but incorporates exceptions under constitutional amendments.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Expungement