A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION directing the establishment of the Automatic Expungement Task Force.
HCR84 is a concurrent resolution that directs the Legislative Research Commission to establish an Automatic Expungement Task Force. The task force is charged with studying how Kentucky could create electronic processes and procedures for automatically expunging eligible criminal records, identifying implementation challenges, and recommending any needed systemic, technological, fiscal, and legal changes. It is also authorized to examine cost estimates and possible funding sources, and it may propose legislation for the 2026 Regular Session.
The resolution frames automatic expungement as a way to reduce barriers created by criminal records, including barriers to employment, professional licensing, housing, education, and civic participation. It cites the large number of Kentuckians with criminal records and argues that expungement can reduce recidivism and help people reenter their communities more fully. The task force is to meet during the 2025 interim, be staffed by the Legislative Research Commission, and report its findings by November 1, 2025.
HCR84 does not itself change Kentucky criminal record or expungement statutes. Instead, it creates a study task force to evaluate whether and how the state could implement automatic expungement through electronic systems and what statutory, administrative, and technological changes would be required. Its practical impact is to begin the policy-development process for potential future legislation affecting courts, clerks, prosecutors, law enforcement, and people with eligible criminal records.
The bill’s tone and stated purpose are strongly supportive of expungement reform and second chances, and the inclusion of Clean Slate Kentucky and an impacted individual on the task force suggests a reform-oriented approach. The absence of recorded votes or committee transcripts limits direct evidence of legislative debate, but the resolution’s findings indicate broad sympathy for reducing red tape and improving access to record clearing. Overall, the measure appears to have been presented as a study step toward a more automated and accessible expungement system.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the feasibility, cost, and legal complexity of automatic expungement, rather than the concept of studying it. The resolution explicitly directs the task force to examine technological requirements, implementation challenges, and funding sources, which suggests anticipated concerns from courts, clerks, prosecutors, and law enforcement about data systems, eligibility screening, and administrative burden. Another possible area of debate is whether automatic expungement should be limited to certain offenses or records and how to balance public-safety concerns with reentry and fairness goals.