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Working‑group bill H.540 would clarify reparative program referrals, add sentencing factors and standard forms
Summary
Chief Judge Tom Zona and Department of Corrections staff told the committee H.540 consolidates reparative/referral language across statutes, makes referrals clearly available as stand‑alone sentences (not only probation conditions), adds nonexclusive factors for judges to weigh, and proposes standardized referral forms; the committee will consult the Judiciary Committee before any final vote.
Judge Tom Zona, acting as chair of a legislatively created working group, told the House Corrections & Institutions committee that H.540 represents the group’s consensus to simplify and clarify how referrals to reparative programs are authorized and used. "It's a bill that adds clarity, adds predictability, adds equal access," Zona said, explaining that the bill relocates and consolidates existing statutory language so courts and community justice centers use a single reference point for reparative referrals.
The bill makes three practical changes…
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