Fresh Start Act of 2025

The "Fresh Start Act of 2025" proposes to amend the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act by establishing a new grant program for states. These grants are specifically designed to help states modernize their criminal justice data infrastructure , enabling the efficient and automated sealing or expungement of criminal records. A key provision defines a "covered expungement law" as one that provides for the automatic expungement or sealing of a criminal record without requiring action from the individual and without delay due to unpaid fees or fines. States receiving these grants will be required to submit annual reports to the Attorney General, detailing information such as the number of individuals eligible for automatic expungement, the number of records actually expunged or sealed, and pending applications. This data must be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and gender to ensure transparency and accountability. If data is inaccessible, states must develop a plan to obtain it. Furthermore, the Attorney General is mandated to publish these comprehensive reports annually, making the information publicly accessible.