Senate Bill 501 Summary

• Establishes the Department of Adult Correction as a new cabinet-level department, effective July 1, 2021, consolidating the Prisons Section, Alcohol and Chemical Dependency Treatment Program, Health Services Section, and Correction Enterprises Section from the Department of Public Safety.

• Creates the Division of Juvenile Justice and Division of Community Corrections within the Department of Public Safety, separating juvenile justice and community supervision functions from adult corrections.

• Transfers the Office of Juvenile Justice from the Governor's office to the new Division of Juvenile Justice in the Department of Public Safety through a Type I transfer.

• Appropriates $5,400,000 in recurring funds and $1,600,000 in nonrecurring funds to the Department of Adult Correction for the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium and 2021-2022 fiscal year respectively.

• Implements numerous conforming changes across state statutes to update references from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Adult Correction, and establishes the Secretary of the Department of Adult Correction as a principal department head position.