State lawmakers appear to be closer to passing a bill that would seal criminal records for people seeking jobs and housing.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says the Assembly, Senate, and the governor are "very close" to working out the language for the so-called Clean Slate Bill.
The bill has support from labor, criminal justice, and business groups.
Under the bill, a conviction record for a felon would be sealed seven years after the sentence is complete. The record would be sealed three years after a misdemeanor sentence.