# 115-hr-5043: Fresh Start Act of 2018

115-hr-5043, Fresh Start Act of 2018, is a 115th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-5043
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 115-hr-5043
- Congress: 115
- Title: Fresh Start Act of 2018
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Introduced: 2018-02-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Fresh Start Act of 2018 This bill establishes a process to expunge records related to certain nonviolent criminal offenses. It defines the nonviolent offenses eligible for expungement; it establishes qualifications for an eligible offender; and it sets forth procedures for filing an expungement petition. The bill increases by 5% the allocation of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program for a state that implements expungement procedures substantially similar to this bill. It decreases by 5% the JAG allocation for a state that fails to enact substantially similar expungement procedures.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7] (D-AZ), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- ELIJAH CUMMINGS (D-MD), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2018-02-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 115-hr-6545: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018
- 115-hr-6239: DISCLOSE Act of 2018
- 115-hr-6135: Keep Families Together Act
- 115-hr-5087: Assault Weapons Ban of 2018
- 115-hr-5011: Election Security Act
- 115-hr-4240: Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017

## Sources
- [115-hr-5043 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5043)

## Related
- [115-hr-6545: Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6545)
- [115-hr-6239: DISCLOSE Act of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6239)
- [115-hr-6135: Keep Families Together Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-6135)
- [115-hr-5087: Assault Weapons Ban of 2018](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-5087)
- [115-hr-5011: Election Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-5011)
- [115-hr-4240: Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-4240)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/115-hr-5043 (as of 2025-11-18).