The Legal Aid Society is backing a new measure proposed by state lawmakers to give those who have paid their dues to society a “clean slate” that would allow them to find work and housing opportunities, as reported by the New York Daily News.

Under the measure, a conviction would be automatically sealed one year after sentencing on the individual’s last misdemeanor conviction and three years after sentencing for felonies, with some exceptions.

Civilly sealed convictions would then not show up in most background checks for employment and housing and would be inaccessible to police departments.

The measure has the backing of The Legal Aid Society, Legal Action Center, the Community Service Society of New York, the Bronx Defenders and more.