ATLANTA (August 7, 2020) | Wednesday, Sen. Tonya Anderson (D – Lithonia) joined Governor Brian P. Kemp for the signage of Senate Bill 288. SB 288 would allow certain misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to qualify for expungement.
“I was incredibly proud to see Gov. Kemp sign SB 288 into law,” said Sen. Anderson. “This new law will give thousands of Georgians who are being held back by their criminal record a second chance at finding a job. In Georgia, 4.3 million, or 40% of adults, have a criminal record. Criminal records, no matter how small, have created a lifetime of barriers to employment, housing and other opportunities. I want to thank Gov. Kemp for his support on this important piece of legislation and Rep. Houston Gaines (R – Athens) for carrying this bill in the House. This is a huge step toward criminal justice reform in our state.”
Under the provisions of SB 288, criminal records of defendants who have not committed additional crimes in four years would be restricted. Violent crimes and sexual offenses are excluded from the qualified list.
To view SB 288, please follow this link: http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20192020/SB/288
To view all of the bills signed by Gov. Kemp this legislative session, please follow this link: https://gov.georgia.gov/executive-action/legislation/signed-legislation/2020-signed-legislation
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For Immediate Release:
Aug. 7, 2020
Kami Briden, Communications Associate
404.656.0028