HB 1571 Summary

• Establishes a Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee with 14 members including legislators, prosecutors, public defenders, judges, and corrections officials to review all proposed criminal law and juvenile justice changes before legislative consideration.

• Requires all bills containing criminal law, criminal procedure, delinquent act, or juvenile court procedure changes to be assigned to designated standing committees (Corrections/Criminal/Civil Matters or Judiciary in Senate; Courts and Criminal Code or Judiciary in House) on first reading.

• Mandates bills include fiscal impact analysis showing estimated effects on offender population, confinement length, and operating costs for the Department of Correction and political subdivisions, with estimates based on at least three full years of cost projections.

• Delays the effective date of criminal law changes that increase confined offender population or Department of Correction costs until the General Assembly appropriates the estimated amount needed for implementation, with a minimum threshold of $50,000 if costs cannot be determined.

• Effective date: July 1, 2011; relocates the Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee statute from IC 2-5.5-5 to new IC 2-5-31.