House Bill 69 Summary

• Changes restitution from discretionary ("may") to mandatory ("shall") for defendants convicted of crimes resulting in pecuniary damages, except justice courts are limited to ordering restitution not exceeding $5,000.

• Establishes a three-year deadline for restitution payment unless another law provides a different timeframe, with courts able to extend up to three years if default is not contempt.

• Converts payment of restitution from discretionary to mandatory conditions of probation or suspended sentences, with violation subject to probation revocation and serving the remainder of the original sentence.

• Makes failure to pay restitution automatically contempt of court (removing the option to find non-compliance is not contempt), and increases maximum imprisonment for failure to pay to the longer of one year or the length of the original sentence.

• Requires courts to order restitution for worthless check convictions under Section 97-19-55 and mandates restitution as a condition in deferred prosecution cases under Section 99-15-26.