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House approves bill to let convicted prisoners be charged transport fees to reimburse counties
Summary
The House approved Senate Bill 21 to permit agencies that transport prisoners to seek reimbursement through a post-conviction surcharge on convicted individuals; proponents said the change addresses a ‘‘catch and release’’ problem and the measure passed unanimously.
The Utah House on Jan. 28 approved Senate Bill 21, a measure to set a surcharge that reimburses agencies for the cost of transporting convicted prisoners back to the jurisdiction where their warrant originated. Representative Bodley, who presented the bill, said the change follows last year’s statewide warrant work and would reduce instances where agencies decline the cost of transportation, leaving defendants free without trial.
Bodley described examples where a person arrested far from the county that issued the warrant is not returned because the originating agency will not cover transport costs. Under SB21, the surcharge would be levied on convicted individuals based on distance and would reimburse the transporting entity; if the defendant is found not guilty, the surcharge would not apply. Supporters argued the change would help resolve outstanding warrants.
After brief discussion and a summation, the House recorded 66 affirmative votes and no negatives; the bill was signed by the Speaker on the floor and entered into the journal.
