H.B. 1603 - Criminal Justice Reform

• Requires bail reports be provided as soon as available to defendants, their counsel, prosecutors, and the Department of Public Safety, with complete pretrial risk assessment details included.

• Mandates that bail amounts be set based on what a person can afford, excluding public benefits income, and deems persons with only public benefits or below-poverty-level income unable to pay bail.

• Prohibits denying pretrial release or arresting a defendant solely based on a single positive drug test, prior arrest history without convictions, or prior bail revocation.

• Requires automatic issuance of written no-contact orders in assaultive cases unless the complainant requests otherwise, with defendants advised of the order on the record.

• Establishes that courts must prove violations of release conditions by preponderance of the evidence and requires findings of fact that no conditions could ensure defendant's appearance before revoking release based on non-offense violations.