Senate Education Committee advances bill to limit most misdemeanor records to seven years, exempts offenses against at-risk people and children

The Senate Education Committee voted to advance House Bill 10 90 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation after the sponsor summarized the measure and the panel recorded a roll-call vote.

Sen. Gonzales, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposal was "very straightforward" and asked members for an aye vote. "All misdemeanors will be down to the 7 year," Sen. Gonzales said, adding that the bill excludes "those where, as an element of the offense, the victim was an at risk person, as defined at 18 6.5102 or a child who was 18 years old regardless of the date of conviction." The chair and members signaled agreement during the brief discussion.

No members of the public signed up to testify. The committee held no amendment hearings; the sponsor said there were no committee amendments to consider. At the chair's request, Sen. Kipp moved to advance the bill "to the Committee on Of the Whole, with a favorable recommendation." The motion passed on a roll-call vote conducted by Miss Cristiano: Senators Bridal, Kipp, Rich, Snyder, Marchman and the chair voted aye; Senator Frizzell was recorded as excused. The motion passed unanimously among members present.

Sen. Marchman asked whether the sponsor wished the measure placed on the consent calendar; Sen. Gonzales agreed. The chair set the bill for the consent calendar and adjourned the committee.

The transcript uses the phrasing "House Bill 10 90" and at one point records the motion as "HB 26 10 90"; the committee did not provide an alternative bill number in the hearing record. The committee also cited a statutory reference in the transcript as "18 6.5102" when describing the definition of "at risk person."