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NC Chamber Applauds Lawmakers’ Unanimous Support for Senate Bill 301

The NC Chamber applauds members of the General Assembly for unanimously passing Senate Bill 301: Expand Expunction Eligibility. This bill furthers the crucial work of the 2020 session’s Chamber-backed Second Chance Act by including additional nonviolent offenses that may be expunged: permitting expunction of an eligible offense despite an impaired driving conviction if the conviction occurred more than five years prior to the petition, allowing the expunction of up to two nonviolent felonies, and allowing an attorney to file a petition for expunction on behalf of a person who committed certain crimes under the age of 18.

North Carolina is only as strong as our people. Our state is more competitive when every individual has the chance to be productive and successful. By empowering North Carolinians hoping to move beyond past mistakes, we will fuel our talent supply while offering opportunity and optimism to residents who are desperately seeking a second chance. Removing barriers that are currently preventing many North Carolinians with nonviolent criminal records from entering the workforce, SB 301 drives a positive step forward for securing a skilled talent pipeline statewide.

Having previously passed the Senate with unanimous support, Senate Bill 301 passed the House unanimously on August 11. As a bill that was amended in the House, SB 301 received Senate concurrence on August 18 and was signed by Governor Cooper on August 26. The NC Chamber will continue to champion commonsense, smart legislation that will strengthen North Carolina’s workforce development and close acute skills gaps our job creators and employers are enduring.