(a) (1) On a monthly basis, the Department of Justice shall review the records in the statewide criminal justice databases, and based on information in the state summary criminal history repository, shall identify persons with records of arrest that meet the criteria set forth in paragraph (2) and are eligible for arrest record relief.
(2) A person is eligible for relief pursuant to this section, if the arrest occurred on or after January 1, 2021, and meets any of the following conditions:
(A) The arrest was for a misdemeanor offense and the charge was dismissed.
(B) The arrest was for a misdemeanor offense, there is no indication that criminal proceedings have been initiated, at least one calendar year has elapsed since the date of the arrest, and no conviction occurred, or the arrestee was acquitted of any charges that arose, from that arrest.
(C) The arrest was for an offense that is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 1170, there is no indication that criminal proceedings have been initiated, at least three calendar years have elapsed since the date of the arrest, and no conviction occurred, or the arrestee was acquitted of any charges arising, from that arrest.
(D) The person successfully completed any of the following, relating to that arrest:
(i) A prefiling diversion program, as defined in Section 851.87, administered by a prosecuting attorney in lieu of filing an accusatory pleading.
(ii) A drug diversion program administered by a superior court pursuant to Section 1000.5, or a deferred entry of judgment program pursuant to Section 1000 or 1000.8.
(iii) A pretrial diversion program, pursuant to Section 1000.4.
(iv) A diversion program, pursuant to Section 1001.9.
(v) A diversion program described in Chapter 2.8 (commencing with Section 1001.20), Chapter 2.8A (commencing with Section 1001.35), Chapter 2.81 (commencing with Section 1001.40), Chapter 2.9 (commencing with Section 1001.50), Chapter 2.9A (commencing with Section 1001.60), Chapter 2.9B (commencing with Section 1001.70), Chapter 2.9C (commencing with Section 1001.80), Chapter 2.9D (commencing with Section 1001.81), or Chapter 2.92 (commencing with Section 1001.85), of Title 6.
(b) (1) The department shall grant relief to a person identified pursuant to subdivision (a), without requiring a petition or motion by a party for that relief if the relevant information is present in the department’s electronic records.
(2) The state summary criminal history information shall include, directly next to or below the entry or entries regarding the person’s arrest record, a note stating “arrest relief granted,” listing the date that the department granted relief, and this section. This note shall be included in all statewide criminal databases with a record of the arrest.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (d), an arrest for which arrest relief has been granted is deemed not to have occurred, and a person who has been granted arrest relief is released from any penalties and disabilities resulting from the arrest, and may answer any question relating to that arrest accordingly.
(c) On a monthly basis, the department shall electronically submit a notice to the superior court having jurisdiction over the criminal case, informing the court of all cases for which a complaint was filed in that jurisdiction and for which relief was granted pursuant to this section. Commencing on August 1, 2022, for any record retained by the court pursuant to Section 68152 of the Government Code, except as provided in subdivision (d), the court shall not disclose information concerning an arrest that is granted relief pursuant to this section to any person or entity, in any format, except to the person whose arrest was granted relief or a criminal justice agency, as defined in Section 851.92.
(d) Relief granted pursuant to this section is subject to the following conditions:
(1) Arrest relief does not relieve a person of the obligation to disclose an arrest in response to a direct question contained in a questionnaire or application for employment as a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.
(2) Relief granted pursuant to this section has no effect on the ability of a criminal justice agency, as defined in Section 851.92, to access and use records that are granted relief to the same extent that would have been permitted for a criminal justice agency had relief not been granted.
(3) This section does not limit the ability of a district attorney to prosecute, within the applicable statute of limitations, an offense for which arrest relief has been granted pursuant to this section.
(4) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect a person’s authorization to own, possess, or have in the person’s custody or control a firearm, or the person’s susceptibility to conviction under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 29800) of Division 9 of Title 4 of Part 6, if the arrest would otherwise affect this authorization or susceptibility.
(5) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect any prohibition from holding public office that would otherwise apply under law as a result of the arrest.
(6) Relief granted pursuant to this section does not affect the authority to receive, or take adverse action based on, criminal history information, including the authority to receive certified court records received or evaluated pursuant to Section 1522, 1568.09, 1569.17, or 1596.871 of the Health and Safety Code, or pursuant to any statutory or regulatory provisions that incorporate the criteria of those sections.
(e) This section does not limit petitions, motions, or orders for arrest record relief, as required or authorized by any other law, including, but not limited to, Sections 851.87, 851.90, 851.91, 1000.4, and 1001.9.
(f) The department shall annually publish statistics for each county regarding the total number of arrests granted relief pursuant to this section and the percentage of arrests for which the state summary criminal history information does not include a disposition, on the OpenJustice Web portal, as defined in Section 13010.
(g) This section shall be operative commencing July 1, 2022, subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 29, Sec. 12. (SB 118) Effective August 6, 2020. Conditionally operative July 1, 2022, by its own provisions.)