Bill

HB 122

85(R) - 2017
Read Bill & Check Bill Status
Courts
Criminal Procedure
Juvenile Justice

Vote Recommendation

Yes
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Harold Dutton Jr.

Bill Caption

Relating to the age of criminal responsibility and certain substantvel and procedural matters related to that age.  


Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB122, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: an impact of $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB122, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($45,637,265) beginning in the 2020-2021 biennium.

Additional costs potentially associated with increased demand on juvenile probation programming are not included in this analysis and could be significant.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of
funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

Under current law, the age of criminal responsibility relating to juvenile courts ranges from 10 through 16. If this bill passes, it would expand that range to 10 through 17 so that anyone aged 10-17 who commits an offense would be adjudicated through the juvenile justice system. This bill would update several parts of the code to reflect this age increase to all the rules governing youth, family, and transportation codes. 

Vote Recommendation Notes

The crimes of 17 a year-old are often more similar to the crimes that a 15 or 16-year-old might commit, and when individuals are sentenced into the juvenile justice system they are less likely to recidivate. With juvenile justice, the stakes are irregularly high because youth are very impressionable and if the programs are ineffective, or counterproductive, a one-time nonviolent offender may spend years institutionalized resulting in a net consumption of resources rather than a contributor. This bill promotes our liberty principle of limited government; therefore, we support HB 122.