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Subcommittee adopts amendment to HB 1661 requiring $25 monthly payment option for low‑income defendants
Summary
The General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee on Jan. 20 adopted an amendment to HB 1661 that requires courts to offer an installment payment plan of $25 per month to any defendant whose most recent personal annual tax filing was at or below the median income.
The General Government and Capital Outlay Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee on Jan. 20 adopted an amendment to HB 1661 that requires courts to offer an installment payment plan of $25 per month to any defendant whose most recent personal annual tax filing was at or below the median income.
The change, offered during the subcommittee meeting, also removed a provision that would have exempted indigent defendants from making non‑restitution payments and clarified that a court may allow a defendant who cannot afford $25 a month to pay a lesser amount while still owing some payment.
Ms. Peaks, who presented the bill, summarized the amendment explanation: “For house bill 1661, what the bill does is it amends the current options for payment agreements for the for defendants by requiring the court to offer an installment plan of $25 a month to any defendant whose most recent personal annual tax filing was at or below the median income.”
Delegate Jones moved the amendment. The amendment was accepted by voice vote; the subcommittee then moved to report the bill onward. Delegate Jones described the measure’s purpose as creating uniformity: “The key is just to ensure that we have a universal payment across the entire Commonwealth, especially for individuals that may owe several localities, and they're paying 1 thing here and 1 thing there.”
The adopted amendment removed the earlier language that would have categorically excused indigent defendants from non‑restitution payments and inserted a clarification that courts may find a lower monthly amount than $25 if a defendant cannot afford that level. The meeting record shows the motion to report carried following the amendment.
No statute or funding source was cited during the discussion. The transcript did not specify whether the subcommittee attached any implementation timeline or reporting requirement for courts; no follow‑up direction to staff was recorded.
The subcommittee reported HB 1661 to the next stage of the process following the vote. The meeting then moved on to other bills on the docket.
