Today, Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) introduced the Fresh Start Act, a bipartisan bill to provide support for rehabilitated individuals to have access to employment, housing, and educational opportunities.
I will support the Fresh Start Act of 2025 to help states streamline automatic record-sealing and expungement and expand access to jobs, housing, and education for rehabilitated individuals.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Laurel M. [R-FL-15] (Introduced 04/30/2025). Latest Action: House - 04/30/2025 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: Tip | This bill has the status Introduced.
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Official Title as Introduced: To amend the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act to establish grants for States for purposes of modernizing criminal justice data infrastructure to facilitate automated record sealing and expungement, and for other purposes.
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All actions show only two entries on 04/30/2025: introduced in House and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
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The bill has multiple cosponsors listed in the Congress.gov bill pages, indicating active legislative effort around the proposal.
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Sponsor: Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (Introduced 07/31/2025). Latest Action: Senate - 07/31/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Tracker: Tip | This bill has the status Introduced.
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Cosponsors listed include Sen. Blunt Rochester and Sen. Coons. Latest Action: Senate - 07/31/2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
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GovInfo lists H.R. 3111 as the Fresh Start Act of 2025, sponsored by Laurel M. Lee, with the action that Lee introduced the bill and it was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. The full title describes grants for states to modernize criminal justice data infrastructure for automated record sealing and expungement.
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The Senate legislation listing shows S.2590, Fresh Start Act of 2025, with latest action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Assessments
Lee materially supported the Fresh Start Act of 2025 during the same federal term by sponsoring and introducing H.R. 3111, whose title matches the promised record-sealing and expungement grant policy. However, the House bill remained only introduced and referred to the Judiciary Committee, and the Senate companion likewise remained referred to committee, with no evidence that the legislation passed or that the promised policy outcome was enacted. This warrants partial credit for direct sponsorship and legislative effort, but not full delivery.
Lee fulfilled the 'support' portion of the promise by introducing H.R. 3111, the Fresh Start Act of 2025, in the House on April 30, 2025, and the bill’s title matches the promised policy of helping states automate record-sealing and expungement. However, the legislative outcome promised was not achieved: the House bill was only referred to the Judiciary Committee and shows no further action, and the Senate companion was likewise only introduced and referred to committee. Under the scoring rule, a serious legislative attempt that fails to deliver the promised outcome should be marked as never with effort credit.