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119-s-3482119th CongressWALLET

First Step Implementation Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

Introduced

Summary

Expands sentence reductions and juvenile-record relief by letting courts apply earlier First Step Act changes retroactively and by creating new parole-like and sealing paths for people who offended as youth. It would also narrow some federal drug-penalty references and set a federal system to correct and limit criminal-record exchanges for jobs.

Show full summary
  • Families and young people: Would create broad automatic sealing for many juvenile nonviolent records after about 3 years and automatic expungement for certain offenses committed and completed by younger teens, cutting long-term barriers to education and work.
  • People serving long sentences: Would let courts ask to reduce sentences as if the First Step Act changes had applied at the time of the offense and would authorize a parole-like reduction for those who committed offenses before age 18 after at least 20 years served with a minimum 5-year supervised release.
  • Job applicants and employers: Would require federal procedures to correct incomplete or inaccurate records, set fast timelines for disposition and challenges, and bar use of certain old arrests in most employment checks.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Clearer juvenile sealing and expungement

If enacted, the bill would expand sealing and expungement of juvenile nonviolent records to help with jobs, housing, and education. Juvenile records for nonviolent offenses would be sealed automatically three years after a person finishes all probation or supervision, if they have no new convictions or active cases. Records for certain adjudications before age 15 (completed before age 18), and federal arrests where no case followed, would be expunged automatically when the person turns 18; other juvenile expungements would be available by petition with notice, fee waivers for indigent petitioners, and court-appointed counsel for minors. Courts would treat expunged records as if they never happened for most purposes and would notify agencies to seal or destroy records as ordered.

Federal background check accuracy rules

If enacted, the Attorney General would have to set procedures so federal arrest and case records used for jobs, housing, or credit are accurate and timely. The AG would try to get case dispositions within 10 days before a record is shared and must finish investigating applicant challenges within 30 days and report results. Records more than two years old without a disposition and certain nonserious offenses generally could not be shared for civil background checks, with carve-outs for law enforcement or national-security jobs. The AG must issue rules within one year, may charge a reasonable fee to cover costs, and must report to Congress within two years.

New sentence relief and drug rules

If enacted, the bill would create new ways to shorten some federal sentences and change some drug-penalty language. A court could reduce a prison term for someone who committed an offense before age 18 after they have served at least 20 years; the Bureau of Prisons must notify people at 19 years, and any release would include at least five years of supervised release. The bill would also let courts apply parts of the 2018 First Step Act retroactively and allow courts to waive a criminal-history exclusion in some cases, but the waiver could not be used for people convicted of a serious drug felony or serious violent felony. The bill would replace some references to "felony drug offense" with the narrower terms "serious drug felony or serious violent felony," which would apply to sentences imposed on or after enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]

IL • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]

    IA • R

    Sponsored 12/15/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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