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Committee advances bill to relieve counties of some prisoner-transport costs
Summary
A do-pass recommendation was recorded for a bill aiming to address county expenses for transporting prisoners across jurisdictions; sponsors said the measure would reduce a collective annual burden on small counties and set local per-diem payment rules for officers who transport prisoners.
The committee recommended a do-pass for a bill designed to mitigate county costs associated with transporting prisoners to other jurisdictions or state facilities.
The presenter said rural counties currently pick up the cost of long-distance prisoner transports and that the aggregate burden on small counties can be substantial. "It can take a real hit to those small sheriff, county governments," the sponsor said, and the bill would provide relief for counties that absorb transportation and per-diem costs when the state requires movement of inmates.
Committee members asked technical questions about per-diem rates and whether transporting prisoners differs from serving papers. A sponsor explained the rate is the local per-diem rate paid to officers for transport duties and that counties pay according to internal salary schedules. Members also noted a drafting question: the term "guard" appears in the bill text but is not defined; committee members asked that the term be clarified in subsequent committee review.
Representative Zamora moved a do-pass recommendation; the committee recorded a do-pass and the bill will proceed to the next committees for appropriation and technical review.
