Committee advances bill letting counties use intergovernmental agreements to meet jail standards

Committee members advanced House Bill 1050 on a voice vote after testimony from Lake County officials who said allowing intergovernmental agreements between counties would let small counties meet state jail standards without building new facilities.

Rep. Lorena Garcia, sponsor of House Bill 1050, told the Judiciary Committee that the bill responds to recommendations from the jail standards commission and the legislative oversight committee: "This is a bill that has come out of the legislative oversight concerning jail standards." She said the measure would allow counties to enter IGAs so smaller counties can rely on partner counties whose jails meet the standards.

The measure aims to address a disparity between uniform state standards and the budgets of small counties. Lake County Sheriff Heath Speckman…