MONTGOMERY, Alabama --- The Alabama Senate today approved a bill that would allow people who were charged, but not convicted, of certain crimes to get their records wiped clean.

Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, said he hears from people who made mistakes years ago or were found not guilty and are blocked from career opportunities because of the arrest records.

"Over the years I've heard from parents whose children made a mistake in high school or in college and matured, grew up, and then later were trying to get a coaching job or trying to get into a professional school or even hired at work, and they were denied oftentimes for charges that ultimately were thrown out,” Bedford said.

The senator said an example would be when police stop a car full of teenagers, find marijuana, and charge everyone in the car. Only one is eventually convicted, but the arrest records follow the others forever.

Bedford’s bill was heavily amended on the Senate floor today before it passed by a vote of 26-3. It now moves to the House of Representatives.

The Senate removed a section that allowed a person convicted of a misdemeanor or traffic violation to apply for expungement.

Other amendments added specific felony charges that could not be expunged, such as violent crimes.

Under the bill, a person seeking an expungement would pay a $600 fee and file a petition to the court that handled the case. If the prosecutor objects, the court would hold a hearing to decide whether to grant the petition. No hearing is required if there is no objection.

In 2003, a judge dismissed charges of extortion and attempted extortion against Bedford, charges that Bedford said at the time were politically motivated.

Bedford said that if his bill becomes law, he had no plans to petition the court to expunge records of that case.

"I'm doing this to try to provide an opportunity for everyone in Alabama to have an equal opportunity," Bedford said. "It's certainly nothing automatic. You have to apply for it in the court."

The bill says that if an expungement petition is granted, records would be sealed, including arrest records, booking or arrest photographs and other records.

According to the bill, the proceedings regarding the expunged charges were deemed never to have occurred, and courts and other agencies must reply to any inquiries that no record exists.