Apr 6, 2021
Testimony in support of HB 2684, relating to the expunction of arrest records and files and the issuance of orders of nondisclosure of criminal history record information for certain persons.
Chair Collier and members of the committee,
My name is Josiah Neeley. I am the Texas director of the R Street Institute, a center-right, free market think tank that supports limited effective government in many areas, including criminal justice reform. We support HB 2684.
This is a straightforward piece of legislation that fixes a hole left in current law regarding expungement or non-disclosure of prior criminal history. Texas allows an individual who has their conviction for a certain offense set aside after completing a period of community supervision to petition to have the court make their criminal record regarding that conviction non-disclosable. While still available to law enforcement, healthcare institutions and other selected entities, the order of non-disclosure makes t