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Advocates urge OHR transparency and funding to meet SCAA automatic sealing deadlines
Summary
Stakeholders told the committee OHR must publicly report case counts, probable-cause findings, and penalties under the Second Chance Amendment Act and be properly funded to complete automatic sealing and expungement by the statutory deadline.
Advocates and legal-policy groups told the committee that implementation of the Second Chance Amendment Act (SCAA) requires greater transparency and durable funding to meet statutory sealing and expungement deadlines.
Katie McConville of the Council for Court Excellence said the SCAA's automatic sealing deadline (Oct. 1, 2027, cited in testimony) requires urgent reporting: the public should know how many records have been sealed, how many complaints have been filed, whether probable cause was found, and whether penalties were imposed. McConville pointed to a material gap between the FY26 budget enhancement OHR received and the FIS estimate of needed resources, urging the council to provide funding sufficient to meet SCAA obligations.
OHR leadership told the committee it has created complaint forms, translated them into six languages and is prepared to accept SCAA complaints; however, as of the hearing OHR had not yet received SCAA complaints. Director Elizabeth Fox Solomon reiterated that case volumes are rising across the agency and that additional enforcement staff and improved case management will be critical to meet the law's requirements.
Witnesses asked the council to set clear reporting requirements and to ensure OHR receives the budget and staff needed so automatic sealing can occur on schedule.
