I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6129 
To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States and units 
of local government to reduce the financial and administrative burden 
of expunging convictions for cannabis offenses, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 2, 2021 
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio (for himself and Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To authorize the Attorney General to make grants to States 
and units of local government to reduce the financial 
and administrative burden of expunging convictions for 
cannabis offenses, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harnessing Opportuni-
ties by Pursuing Expungement Act of 2021’’ or the 
‘‘HOPE Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. STATE EXPUNGEMENT OPPORTUNITY GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) NAME OF PROGRAM.—The grant program estab-
lished under this section shall be known as the ‘‘State 
Expungement Opportunity Grant Program’’. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION.—The Attorney General is au-
thorized to make grants to States and units of local gov-
ernment to reduce the financial and administrative burden 
of expunging convictions for cannabis offenses that are 
available to individuals who have been convicted of such 
offenses under the laws of the State. 
(c) APPLICATION.—The chief executive of a State or 
unit of local government seeking a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Attorney General an application at 
such time, in such manner, and containing such informa-
tion as the Attorney General may reasonably require. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants under this section shall 
be used— 
(1) for technology to provide cost-effective legal 
relief at scale; 
(2) to automate the process of expunging con-
victions for cannabis offenses; 
(3) for clinics, including legal clinics, that assist 
individuals through the expungement process; 
(4) to implement the notice requirement de-
scribed in subsection (e); 
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(5) to seal records of conviction for cannabis of-
fenses, if appropriate; and 
(6) for other innovative partnerships to provide 
wide-scale relief to individuals who are eligible for 
the expungement of a conviction for a cannabis of-
fense under the laws of the State. 
(e) NOTICE REQUIREMENT.—A jurisdiction that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall— 
(1) publish on a publicly accessible website in-
formation about the availability and process of 
expunging convictions for cannabis offenses, includ-
ing information for individuals living in a different 
jurisdiction who were convicted of a cannabis offense 
in that jurisdiction; 
(2) implement a process to notify each indi-
vidual convicted of a cannabis offense when— 
(A) the expungement process has begun; 
and 
(B) when the expungement is complete, 
which shall, if applicable, include an official cer-
tificate of expungement (including any other 
similar document used by the jurisdiction). 
(f) REPORT.—A jurisdiction that receives a grant 
under this section shall submit to the Attorney General 
a report describing the uses of such funds, and how many 
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convictions for cannabis offenses have been expunged 
using such funds. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 to carry out this 
section for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2032. 
SEC. 3. STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES 
RELATED TO CANNABIS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall 
conduct a study and submit to Congress and make pub-
licly available on the website of the Department of Justice 
a report on— 
(1) the effects of the appearance on an individ-
ual’s criminal record report of a conviction for a 
criminal offense related to cannabis, including— 
(A) disqualifying him or her from future 
opportunities in housing and employment; 
(B) increasing the likelihood that the indi-
vidual will have future involvement with the 
criminal justice system; 
(C) how any such effects differ based on 
demographics, including race; and 
(D) any other matters determined appro-
priate by the Attorney General; and 
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(2) the costs incurred by States for incarcer-
ating an individual convicted for a criminal offense 
related to cannabis. 
(b) CLARIFICATION.—The report under subsection 
(a) may not include any personally identifiable informa-
tion. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘cannabis’’ means either mari-
juana or cannabis as defined under the State law 
authorizing the sale or use of cannabis in which the 
individual or entity is located. 
(2) The term ‘‘cannabis offense’’ means a 
criminal offense related to cannabis that, under 
State law, is no longer an offense or that was des-
ignated a lesser offense or for which the penalty was 
reduced under State law pursuant to or following 
the adoption of a State law authorizing the sale or 
use of cannabis. 
Æ 
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