SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A monumental bill to automatically seal records for people convicted of nonviolent felonies awaits Gov. JB Pritzker's approval. Democrats have spent years negotiating the Clean Slate Act with grassroots advocates and law enforcement.

The proposal could allow felony convictions currently eligible for expungement to be automatically sealed by a circuit court judge or the Illinois State Police.

State lawmakers passed legislation in 2017 to allow certain offenders with nonviolent felony convictions to apply for expungement. However, each of the state's 102 counties have addressed the record sealing process differently.

"I watched individuals take more than a year to get to a place when they start the process to the end of it," said House Assistant Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). "Many people lose faith that things can actually change for them."

Gordon-Booth told WAND News it is past time for a streamlined process to open doors for job opportunities and allow 1.7 million Illinoisans who served time to rebuild their lives.

"They simply want to have an opportunity. They want to have a track to run on," Gordon-Booth said. "They want to be able to care for themselves and care for their families. But oftentimes, a conviction will calcify them in poverty."

Many Republicans oppose the idea because they believe records should be unsealed for the public to know someone's criminal history.

"There are obvious issues here with public safety," said Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield). "There are obviously issues here that should have been left in our laws that are taken out that would've helped to rehabilitate people." 

Serious crimes like murder, sex offenses, human trafficking, Class X felonies, DUI and domestic violence will be excluded from automatic sealing.

"This does not extend the amount of crimes that are currently able to be sealed by petition, so it allows for us to deal with the backlog of cases," said Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago).

Still, some are concerned about how much this change will cost. Opponents said the first year of implementation will cost $5.6 million, with costs rising each subsequent year.

"Obviously, there is no appropriation attached to this yet, which means the locals will need to find the money for it," said Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro). "I think that this is a potential for a local property tax increase."

Sponsors stressed they are committed to funding the program through future state budgets.

House Bill 1836 passed out of the Senate on a partisan 39-17 vote. It received a 80-26 vote in the House.

"By automating the sealing process for eligible records, we're removing unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that keep people from finding employment, securing housing, and fully reintegrating into their communities," Sims said. "At the same time, we've been deliberate in maintaining strong public safety protections and ensuring law enforcement has the access they need." 

Copyright 2025. WAND TV. All rights reserved.