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Senate Judiciary Committee approves bill allowing courts to intercept state tax refunds to collect unpaid fines, fees and costs
Summary
Senate Bill 260, sponsored by Sen. Joshua Bryant, passed the Judiciary Committee; the measure clarifies a court’s authority to order interception of state tax refunds to satisfy unpaid restitution, fines, fees and court costs. Testimony raised concerns about impacts on low-income taxpayers and overlap with an ongoing fines-and-fees study.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 260, a bill clarifying that, upon the court’s order, courts may intercept a defendant’s state income tax refund to collect unpaid restitution, fines, fees and court costs.
Senator Joshua Bryant (Senate District 32), sponsor of the bill, said its purpose is to “clarify what a lot don’t know they can or cannot do.” Bryant told the committee he consulted with the Department of Finance and Administration (DFNA) and local judges and that the proposed language is modeled on procedures used to collect unpaid restitution in civil matters. “This language will give them clarity that upon their order or their motion, they can intercept the state tax return under the procedures that they would to collect unpaid restitution in a civil matter,” Bryant said, calling it “another tool in my toolbox.”
Kristen Clark, director of the Legal Division at the Administrative Office of the Courts,…
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