Legislation offering grants to states and localities to ease the expungement of nonviolent marijuana offenses has been filed in the United States Senate.
Senate Bill 4161 —the HOPE Act of 2024— was filed recently by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV). The proposal is a companion bill to House Bill 2677, also referred to as the HOPE Act.
In the Senate, the measure was filed with no cosponsors. The House version of the bill is sponsored by a bipartisan coalition of five lawmakers.
The HOPE Act would authorized the Department of Justice (DOJ) “to make grants to states and local governments to reduce the financial and administrative burden of expunging convictions for state cannabis offenses.”
The measure also “requires DOJ to study and report on (1) the effects on an individual of a criminal record report of a conviction for a criminal offense related to cannabis, and (2) the costs incurred for incarcerating an individual for a criminal offense related to cannabis.”
Last month Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he’s “committed” to including the HOPE Act in the SAFER Banking Act to allow marijuana banking. The SAFER Banking Act has already been passed through the Senate Banking Committee, with Schumer saying the full chamber is “very close” to a vote.
Another proposal —the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA)— would also address marijuana expungements, but it would go further by fully descheduling marijuana and establishing a framework for legal marijuana sales. The CAOA was filed last week with 18 sponsors.
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