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SB230Introduced in the Senate

Police and court records; expungement of records, delayed effective date.

Passed

Introduced by Scott Surovell, District 34

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Expungement of police and court records. Permits the expungement of police and court records relating to an initial charge when a person is arrested, charged, summonsed, or indicted for the commission of an infraction, a crime, or a civil offense and such person is not ultimately convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine the facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date. The bill also permits that a petition may request expungement of the police and court records for multiple charges arising out of separate transactions or occurrences. The bill also provides that if a person was the subject of a delinquency or traffic proceeding and was not ultimately adjudicated delinquent or convicted, provided that no stipulation of facts sufficient to find guilt was entered or the court did not determine facts sufficient to find guilt but deferred adjudication or disposition to a later date, such matter is eligible for expungement. Lastly, the bill (i) allows certain deferred dispositions to be eligible for expungement; (ii) requires the attorney for the Commonwealth, if he files an objection to the petition for expungement, to include the basis for such objection; (iii) provides that the unavailability of certain information shall not be a basis for refusing expungement; (iv) requires the court, if it finds potential manifest injustice to the petitioner, to order expungement; (v) provides that the existence of a prior conviction alone shall not be a sufficient basis to deny an expungement; (vi) allows any person whose petition for relief is the subject of an appeal to proceed under a pseudonym pursuant to relevant law; and (vii) allows specifically identified emergency or preliminary protective orders to be expunged. The bill has a delayed effective date of December 1, 2026.

Where it stands

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1127)

May 14, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

4 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

6 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation Nos. 1 and 3 (24-Y 15-N 0-A) · April 22, 2026

24

Yes

15

No

1

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1No
Mark Obenshain2No
Chris Head3Absent
David Suetterlein4Yes
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104575D

  2. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  3. Senate committee offered

  4. Senate committee offered

  5. Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 4-N)

  6. Committee substitute printed 26106700D-S1

  7. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB230)

  8. Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

  9. Rules suspended

  10. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)

  11. Passed by for the day

  12. Committee substitute printed 26107505D-S2

  13. Read second time

  14. Courts of Justice Substitute rejected

  15. Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to

  16. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)

  17. Read third time and passed Senate (27-Y 12-N 0-A)

  18. Placed on Calendar

  19. Read first time

  20. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  21. Assigned HCJ sub: Criminal

  22. House subcommittee offered

  23. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 1-N)

  24. Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (20-Y 2-N)

  25. Committee substitute printed 26108869D-H1

  26. Read second time

  27. Read third time

  28. committee substitute agreed to

  29. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  30. Passed House with substitute (84-Y 15-N 0-A)

  31. Fiscal Impact Review From JLARC (3/4/2026 8:17 pm)

  32. House substitute agreed to by Senate (26-Y 14-N 0-A)

  33. Enrolled

  34. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB230ER)

  35. Signed by Speaker

  36. Signed by President

  37. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB230)

  38. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  39. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  40. Governor's recommendation received by Senate

  41. Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation Nos. 1 and 3 (24-Y 15-N 0-A)

  42. Governor's recommendation Nos. 2 and 4 passed by (Voice Vote)

  43. Governor's amendments nos. 1 and 3 agreed to (72-Y 25-N 0-A)

  44. Governor's recommendation adopted

  45. Reenrolled

  46. Reenrolled bill text (SB230ER2)

  47. Signed by Speaker

  48. Signed by President

  49. Communicated to Governor

  50. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., May 23, 2026

  51. Approved by Governor-Chapter 1127 (Effective 12/1/2026)

  52. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP1127)

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