Relating to expungements.

HB 2298 modifies Oregon's expungement laws, allowing individuals convicted of certain offenses to petition courts to set aside their convictions or arrests after meeting specific waiting periods. It increases eligibility waiting times: five years for Class C felonies and misdemeanors (up from three years for some misdemeanors), and one year for lower-level misdemeanors or contempt findings. The bill eliminates filing fees for expungement requests, requires fingerprint checks for record verification, and clarifies that courts may only consider recent criminal behavior - not traffic violations or civil debts - when evaluating applications. This directly affects Oregon residents with past convictions who have completed their sentences and meet the revised timeframes.