Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee reports bill to require courts to count detained time when setting juvenile placements
Loading...
Summary
House Bill 1936, sponsored by Representative Bellman, would require courts to consider the total time a child has been securely detained and trigger periodic review hearings if placement does not occur; the committee reported the bill 20-6 after debate about current wait times and implementation concerns.
Committee staff summarized House Bill 1936 (Printer's No. 2435), sponsored by Representative Bellman, as legislation to add language requiring courts to consider the total time a child is securely detained when determining detention duration and placement decisions. The bill would also require review hearings if a child is not transferred to a program within seven business days.
Representative Bauman, who spoke in support, recounted a tour of the Philadelphia juvenile system and relayed advocates' assertions that waiting times for placement could be "up to 18 months," a practice she called "cruel" and "unjust." She said HB1936 would require courts to account for secure detention time and schedule review hearings every 10 business days when placement delays persist.
Chair Klunk acknowledged the bill's intent but cited the Juvenile Court Judges' Commission (JCJC) and current placement metrics, saying waits were "less than 20 days" currently and about 12 children statewide were on a wait list; she said she would vote no today but remained open to amendments. After debate, the committee voted to report HB1936 as committed by a roll-call vote of 20 ayes and 6 nays.
The bill's explicit procedures include counting detained time toward sentencing consideration and initiating periodic reviews (if placement not made within seven business days, review hearings every 10 business days). Committee members and stakeholders flagged practical issues about placements and the JCJC's ongoing work to reduce wait times.
