Committee merges two juvenile-justice bills, expands youth residential placements and tightens detention rules

Committee Chair called the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee to order on March 3, 2025, and opened a session focused on two companion measures: House Bill 2325 and House Bill 2329. After discussion and amendments, the committee voted to merge HB 2325 into HB 2329 and approved the merged bill as amended.

The merged bill in its final form authorizes expanded use of youth residential facilities (also called non‑foster home beds) for certain juvenile offenders and clarifies payment responsibility. Jason Thompson, adviser in the Revisor’s Office, told the committee the measure directs the Secretary of Corrections to contract for non‑foster home beds in youth residential facilities, requires the secretary to pay costs associated with those placements, and permits the secretary to spend up to $10,000,000 in a fiscal year from the Evidence Based Programs Account to contract for those beds.

Committee members debated changes originating in HB 2325 that affect detention and placement authority. The earlier bill would have explicitly allowed judges to commit juveniles to detention for technical…