AR HB1798

Amends Arkansas Code § 16-17-129(a) to expand the allowable uses of fines collected from criminal defendants in district courts located in towns or cities.

Towns and cities may continue to levy up to $20.00 additional fines per conviction, guilty plea, nolo contendere plea, or bond forfeiture to help defray incarceration costs.

Fine revenue can now be used for construction, maintenance, and operation of town or city jails, county jails that house town or city prisoners, and transportation of town or city prisoners to county jails.

Applies to two categories of cases: first class accounting records cases in towns or cities with district courts, and misdemeanor or traffic violation cases in towns or cities with police departments that contribute to district court expenses.

Fines collected in district courts funded solely by the county must be paid to the county treasury for county prisoner incarceration costs.