An act relating to a single process for sealing criminal history records

This bill proposes to create a single, unified process for sealing criminal history records in Vermont, replacing the current system where records could be either expunged (destroyed) or sealed. It directly affects individuals with criminal records and the agencies that maintain those records, such as the Vermont Crime Information Center. Under the new system, sealed records would not be destroyed but would be hidden from general public access while allowing specific entities to view them for particular purposes. The bill also removes the requirement for requesters to provide a date of birth when searching criminal records and mandates that the crime information center include a disclaimer warning that name-only searches may return multiple individuals and that requesters are responsible for verifying information.