AB37,,112023 ASSEMBLY BILL 37
February 13, 2023 - Introduced by Representatives Steffen, Tittl, Goyke, C. Anderson, Andraca, Armstrong, Baldeh, Bare, Billings, Brooks, Cabrera, Clancy, Conley, Considine, Donovan, Doyle, Drake, Edming, Emerson, Gundrum, Gustafson, Haywood, Hong, Joers, Kitchens, Krug, Macco, Madison, McGuire, Moore Omokunde, Moses, Mursau, Myers, Novak, O’Connor, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Ratcliff, Riemer, Rozar, Schmidt, Schraa, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Snyder, Sortwell, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining, Zimmerman and Jacobson, cosponsored by Senators Cabral-Guevara, Wimberger, Roys, Felzkowski, James, L. Johnson, Larson, Spreitzer, Taylor, Wanggaard and Wirch. Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
AB37,,22An Act to renumber 111.335 (3) (a); to renumber and amend 973.015 (1m) (a) 1.; to amend 111.335 (4) (b), 111.335 (4) (c) 1. (intro.), 111.335 (4) (e), 111.335 (4) (f) 1., 950.04 (1v) (g), 973.015 (1m) (a) 3. a., 973.015 (1m) (b) and 973.25 (1) (a); and to create 111.335 (3) (ag), 111.335 (3) (g), 973.015 (1b), 973.015 (1m) (a) 1. a. and b., 973.015 (1m) (a) 3. c., cg., cr. and d. and 4., 973.015 (1m) (c) and 973.015 (4) of the statutes; relating to: expungement of records of certain crimes and discrimination based on expunged conviction.
AB37,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, a court may order a person’s criminal record expunged of a crime if all of the following apply:
1. The maximum term of imprisonment for the crime is six years or less (Class H felony and below).
2. The person committed the crime before the age of 25.
3. The person had not been previously convicted of a felony.
4. The crime was not a violent felony.
Current law specifies that the expungement order must be made only at sentencing and then the record is expunged when the person completes his or her sentence.
This bill removes the condition that the person committed the crime before the age of 25. (The bill retains the requirements that the crime be no greater than a Class H felony, the person had no previous felony convictions, and the crime was not a violent felony.) The bill makes certain crimes ineligible for expungement, such as traffic crimes, the crime of violating a domestic abuse restraining order or injunction, criminal trespass, and criminal damage to a business. The bill also allows the sentencing court to order that a person’s record not be eligible for expungement.
The bill also provides that, if the sentencing court did not order the record expunged, the person may file a petition with the sentencing court after he or she completes his or her sentence. Upon receipt of the petition, the court must review the petition and then may order the record expunged or may deny the petition. If the court denies the petition, the person may not file another petition for two years. The person must pay a $100 fee to the county for a second petition, and no person may file more than two petitions per crime. The bill limits a person to one expungement. The changes described in this paragraph retroactively apply to persons who were convicted of a crime before the bill takes effect.
The bill provides that, if a record is expunged of a crime, that crime is not considered a conviction for employment purposes and specifies that employment discrimination because of a conviction record includes requesting a person to supply information regarding a crime if the record has been expunged of the crime. Finally, the bill provides that it is not employment discrimination because of conviction record for the Law Enforcement Standards Board to consider a conviction that has been expunged with respect to applying any standard or requirement for the certification, decertification, or required training of law enforcement officers, tribal law enforcement officers, jail officers, and juvenile detention officers.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
AB37,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
AB37,15Section 1. 111.335 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 111.335 (3) (ar).