Automatic expungement; authorize for certain crimes.

Mississippi's HB 497 automatically expunges certain misdemeanor and felony convictions after specific waiting periods, directly affecting individuals with eligible records. Misdemeanor convictions are automatically cleared 7 years after sentence completion (max 4 convictions), while eligible felonies are cleared 10 years later (max 2 convictions). The bill excludes serious offenses like violent crimes, drug trafficking, repeat DUIs, and sex offender violations from automatic expungement. The Department of Public Safety must implement a computer system by July 1, 2026, to manage these expungements while maintaining separate records for law enforcement.