May 19, 2021
Manchin Bill To Give West Virginians A Clean Start To Rejoin Workforce
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe
Manchin (D-WV) reintroduced the Clean
Start Act, which would allow persons with a felony or misdemeanor
conviction for a past non-violent crime committed as a result of substance use
disorder to have their records sealed after undergoing comprehensive treatment
and demonstrating a commitment to their recovery.
“The drug epidemic
has impacted every West Virginian, taking far too many lives and resulting in a
workforce with opioid misuse related criminal records, not violent crime or
other heinous acts, who can’t find a job willing to hire someone with a
criminal record,” said Senator Manchin. “These West Virginians deserve a
clean start, which is why my bill would help those with non-violent records
work towards sealing their criminal record if they complete a one-year
treatment program or recovery support program, and provide six months of
service as a recovery mentor. I urge my bipartisan colleagues to join my
legislation to give our fellow West Virginians the chance to rejoin their
communities and provide valuable skills our workforce needs.”
The Clean
Start Act will allow a person with a felony or misdemeanor conviction for a
non-violent crime to petition a federal court to seal the person’s criminal
record if the person does two things:
- Successfully completes a one-year substance use treatment program or recovery support program that is licensed or certified by a State or national accreditation body, including peer-driven and sober-living programs.
- Provides six months of service as a peer recovery coach. In the limited set of cases where service as a coach is not practicable, six months of volunteer service will be required.
A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to
address the drug epidemic can be found here.
Background information on the Clean Start Act can be found here.
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