Bill to separate pre-adjudication youth from convicted juveniles advances to full finance

Chairlady Shirley Littleton said the bill would require legislative leaders to appoint eight members by July 1, 2025, to address placement of juveniles and keep pre-adjudication youth separate from those already convicted. The committee adopted two amendments and voted 12-0 to send House Bill 13 58 to full finance.

The bill, as described by Chairlady Shirley Littleton, “requires by July, the first of 2025, the Speaker ... of the Senate and the House of Representatives to appoint 8 members.” Littleton said the aim is to separate pre-adjudication juveniles from those who have been convicted and that the committee has been looking at a site in Jackson as a possible location. Littleton said, “pre adjudication juveniles do not need to be with those that have been convicted already.”

Committee members first adopted amendment drafting code 07/1973. The committee then adopted amendment drafting code 8,076, which Chairman Hicks described as a change to “simply allow all members of the study committee to participate electronically.” During consideration, Committee leadership said the Hicks amendment removed the fiscal note and fiscal impact from the bill as presented.

After debate concluded, the clerk opened the roll for a vote. The clerk reported 12 ayes and 0 nos; the chair announced, “House bill 13 58 moves to full finance.”

The action advances the bill to the full finance committee for further consideration; no final enactment was recorded in the transcript. The transcript does not specify the exact composition of the eight-member panel beyond the appointment deadline, nor does it include text of the bill or the amendments beyond the drafting-code identifiers.