Missouri Governor Signs Clean Slate Reforms Into Law

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has signed SB 1421 into law, enacting a "Clean Slate" measure that creates an automated process for expunging eligible low-level drug offenses. The reform is the result of over five years of advocacy, with business leaders and employers identified as key supporters.

The Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) partnered on the initiative. Business advocates argued that the reform addresses workforce shortages by removing obstacles that prevent qualified individuals with eligible records from obtaining employment. They also stated it fixes a cumbersome traditional expungement process.

"Businesses across Missouri spent years calling for Clean Slate because they've seen firsthand how qualified workers can be held back by old records and an expungement process that is simply too hard to navigate. This reform will help ensure thousands of Missourians get a fair chance to move forward and reenter the labor force — and that's a win for workers, employers, and communities across the state," said Maha Jweied, CEO of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ).

For over five years, more than 20 Missouri businesses and chambers of commerce advocated for the Clean Slate measure. Their support highlighted the state's labor shortage, exacerbated by visible, expungement-eligible records impacting background checks. The automated system is projected to increase statewide annual wages by an estimated $2.3 billion. Advocates also noted that fewer than 1% of eligible individuals historically receive record relief.

Missouri joins other states implementing "Clean Slate" policies to improve access to employment, housing, and economic opportunity. Kara Corches, President & CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated, "Missouri employers know that fair hiring is good for business and good for public safety."