HB 1035 - Juvenile Justice Reform Summary

• Creates three new chapters (27-20.2, 27-20.3, and 27-20.4) of the North Dakota Century Code to comprehensively restructure the juvenile justice system, replacing the existing Uniform Juvenile Court Act (Chapter 27-20).

• Establishes separate legal frameworks for children in need of protection, children in need of services, and delinquent children with distinct procedures, rights, and dispositional options for each category.

• Appropriates $325,000 to the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents for the 2021-23 biennium to provide legal counsel services for juveniles, with reporting requirements on costs for indigent and non-indigent juveniles.

• Implements detention screening tools and restrictions on secure detention, prohibiting placement solely due to lack of supervision alternatives, community inability to provide services, or self-harm risk.

• Amends numerous related statutes across 44 sections to align with the new juvenile justice framework, including changes to registration requirements for juvenile offenders, school discipline procedures, and firearm possession restrictions.