FL S0492

Establishes the Council on the Discretionary Imposition of Criminal Justice and Traffic Fines and Fees adjunct to the Department of Legal Affairs, with administrative support from the department but independent operation

Council is composed of approximately 21 members including the chair (appointed by the Attorney General), two state senators, two state representatives, two public defenders, two state attorneys, one Supreme Court justice or appellate judge, two county judges, two circuit judges, a court clerks representative, six community organization nominees, and a Fines and Fees Justice Center representative

Directs the council to review the impact of fines, fees, restitution, and court costs on low-income individuals and families, including a proportionality analysis of impacts on people of color

Requires the council to hold a minimum of four regionally diverse community meetings, evaluate mandatory assessment impacts on court system stakeholders, review judicial discretion mechanisms in other states (such as ability-to-pay determinations, fee waivers, day fines, and debt discharge), and publish a report with policy recommendations

Council is set to be repealed on December 31, 2024, with an effective date of July 1, 2021