HB 21-1315 Summary

• Eliminates mandatory monetary costs, fees, and surcharges that juveniles and their families must pay in the juvenile justice system, including prosecution costs, cost of care, victim compensation fees, and sex offender surcharges.

• Prohibits courts from imposing costs of prosecution or cost of care on juveniles under juvenile court jurisdiction, with limited exceptions for payments required by federal Title IV Social Security Act provisions.

• Eliminates processing fees, genetic testing fees, and restorative justice program fees for juveniles; allows sliding scale assessments for restorative justice services but prohibits courts from including these fees in court orders.

• Requires courts within six months to vacate existing court orders imposing these costs against juveniles and their families, and mandates reporting to legislature by July 1, 2022 on orders vacated and amounts eliminated.

• Transfers $597,000 annually from the marijuana tax fund to support victim compensation and restorative justice programs to offset revenue previously collected from juvenile fees.