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Committee backs expungement streamlining bill, asks for clearer language on required documents

House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice · April 1, 2026

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Summary

HB 151 aims to streamline the expungement packet to reduce delays and costs; Louisiana State Police said missing documents often delay processing, while ACLU and defense groups urged careful drafting (changing 'shall' to 'may' for items 'if they exist') to avoid disadvantaging petitioners; the committee advanced the bill with a commitment to refine language before the floor.

Representative Boyer introduced HB 151 as an administrative cleanup to reduce unnecessary costs and time in the expungement process by clarifying which documents should be submitted to Louisiana State Police when a person files for expungement.

Lieutenant Marcus Smith said missing documentation often causes rejections and multiple resubmissions, lengthening delays and increasing expense for petitioners. Defense and civil‑liberties witnesses — including Sarah Whittington (ACLU) and Kelly Carmina (LACDL) — urged caution. Whittington recommended changing mandatory phrasing to a permissive formulation ("may" rather than "shall") when documents exist but are not universally available, to avoid penalizing petitioners who cannot locate records.

Representative Boyer committed to work with stakeholders to refine language before floor consideration; the committee reported the bill favorably with that commitment.