REDEEM Act

Bill: 115-hr-1906
Sponsor: Rep. Cummings, Elijah E. [D-MD-7]
Introduced: 2017-04-05 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Child health
Child safety and welfare
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Criminal justice information and records
Criminal procedure and sentencing
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee hiring
Evidence and witnesses
Food assistance and relief
Government studies and investigations
Judicial procedure and administration
Juvenile crime and gang violence
Law enforcement administration and funding
Law enforcement officers
Lawyers and legal services
Licensing and registrations
Mental health
Personnel records
Poverty and welfare assistance
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
U.S. Sentencing Commission

Summary:
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: 

Record Expungement Designed to Enhance Employment Act of 2017 or the REDEEM Act 

 
This bill creates a mechanism by which certain eligible individuals may file a petition to seal federal criminal records with respect to covered nonviolent offenses. If an individual is eligible for such a sealing order, the court must notify the person in writing of their potential eligibility. The bill establishes a set of rules and procedures for assessing a sealing petition. If granted, the offense, criminal proceeding, conviction, or sentence shall be treated as if it never occurred.
 
A judge shall issue a sealing order three years after the date on which a person is adjudicated delinquent for a juvenile nonviolent offense if certain conditions are met.
 
The use of room confinement (defined as involuntary placement of a juvenile alone in a cell) for discipline, other than a temporary response to a juvenile's behavior that presents harm to others, is prohibited.
 
The bill removes possession and use of controlled substance as a disqualifying activity under federal welfare laws. Further, the prohibition from access to federal welfare benefits for drug-related offenses shall not apply to persons who, among other things, have completed a certified substance abuse treatment program.
 
When awarding grants under the Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, the Department of Justice (DOJ) may give preference to states that have laws similar to this bill's provisions.
 
DOJ shall establish and enforce procedures to ensure the prompt release of accurate records exchanged for employment-related purposes through the records system created by this bill.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2017-04-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Nutrition.
action_date: 2017-04-17
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-04-05
text: Introduced in House