Committee hears bill to allow sealing eviction records after seven years and for some domestic‑violence victims
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Summary
Senate Bill 2238 would let eligible individuals petition a court to seal eviction records after seven years if outstanding rent and damage claims are resolved; the bill also allows sealing for victims of domestic violence.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2238, which would allow people to petition a court to seal eviction records seven years after an eviction, provided they have resolved unpaid rent and damage claims, and would permit an eviction tied to domestic violence to be sealed to avoid penalizing victims.
Sponsor Sen. Ryan Braunberger told the committee the measure is intended to help people who have corrected their behavior or who were victims of circumstances such as domestic abuse to find housing after a period of stability. “I think 7 years is a good time period for it to be able to prove that you are a good tenant after you've had some issues in the past,” Braunberger said.
Housing advocates, including the ACLU and Protection & Advocacy, supported the bill. Cody Shuler of the American Civil Liberties Union said sealing eviction records is “a very important strategy” to reduce housing insecurity and noted that from January 2021 to October 2023 there were 5,747 eviction judgments statewide that affected roughly 4.7 percent of occupied rentals; Shuler and other witnesses said sealing can help break cycles of homelessness and economic instability.
Micah Olson of North Dakota Protection & Advocacy described disability‑related reasons a tenant might be evicted — financial exploitation, trouble understanding lease terms, or loss of employment tied to disability — and said sealing after seven years can help people with disabilities secure accessible, stable housing once they have remedied prior issues.
Landlords and committee members asked several procedural questions: sealing is not automatic; it requires a court petition and the bill requires petitioners to have satisfied outstanding monetary judgments for unpaid rent and damages before sealing. Committee members also asked how sealing would interact with credit reports; witnesses said sealing the court record is 1 tool and does not erase other credit records, but may remove a barrier some landlords use in screening applicants.
Ending: The committee closed the hearing after testimony from housing advocates, disability advocates and local officials; no vote was recorded and members indicated follow‑up work would be required to align the bill with other eviction‑related provisions.
