Senate Bill 705 - Equity in Justice Act of 2023

• Appropriates $663,579 to expand the Criminal Justice Fellows Program to all counties and $269,080 annually for law enforcement accreditation program managers.

• Prohibits chokeholds and neck restraints as deadly force, requires body-worn cameras and National Incident-Based Reporting System data for all law enforcement agencies, and mandates medical assistance for persons in custody.

• Requires State Bureau of Investigation to conduct independent investigations of Bureau employee misconduct, with prosecutions handled by special prosecutors; law enforcement agencies must report incidents within 24 hours or lose grant funding.

• Decriminalizes misdemeanor marijuana possession under 0.5 ounces as an infraction and automatically expunges prior convictions by December 1, 2025; increases parole eligibility for juveniles and eliminates life without parole for offenders under 18.

• Expands right to counsel to all felony and misdemeanor charges, restricts cash bonds for Class 1-3 misdemeanors, requires first appearances within 48 hours, establishes preventative detention hearings within 5 days, and provides $8.4 million for drug and mental health court programs.