House Bill 159 Summary

• Authorizes judges to place offenders ordered to county jail confinement for nonviolent offenses on house arrest with electronic monitoring or shackling as an alternative to jail time, before, during, or after trial.

• Requires counties and cities to establish and track per diem costs for house arrest programs with electronic monitoring or shackling, in addition to jail incarceration costs.

• Mandates the state provide full reimbursement for total house arrest program costs when a court places an individual accused of a nonviolent offense on house arrest in cases where the state is liable for costs.

• Allows judges to order persons charged with bailable nonviolent offenses who fail to post bail to be placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring or shackling as a release condition.

• Permits judges to order defendants guilty of nonviolent offenses to serve sentences on house arrest with electronic monitoring or shackling in lieu of county jail confinement, with discretion to exclude specific defendants or offense types from this option.