House committee advances repeal of DOC supervisory-fee authority, delays effective date to July 2027
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Summary
The House Corrections & Institutions Committee advanced H.635 to remove the Department of Corrections' authority to collect supervisory fees and voted unanimously on a committee amendment to delay the law's effective date to July 1, 2027, so DOC budget projections are preserved.
The House Corrections & Institutions Committee on Feb. 10 advanced H.635, a bill that would repeal the Department of Corrections' authority to impose monthly supervisory fees on people under DOC supervision, and approved an amendment delaying the bill's effective date to July 1, 2027.
John Gray of the Office of Legislative Council told the committee the measure is narrowly targeted at fees imposed by DOC — previously authorized at up to $30 per month and typically charged at lower amounts — and does not undo court‑ordered restitution under Title 13. "This is just eliminating the authority for that piece," Gray said, emphasizing that existing restitution statutes and funds would remain intact.
The bill removes DOC's statutory authorization to collect the supervisory fee and related session‑law language that described a special supervision and victim restitution fund. Counsel and members debated whether the statute's phrasing created overlapping fund names, but Gray and members agreed repeal aligns the statute with current practice because DOC has not been applying supervisory fees to court restitution funds.
Committee members pressed for clarity about practical effects. Chair (unnamed) explained that rescinding the authority will require DOC to review and rescind any policies or directives that implemented fee collection. One member raised concern that eliminating outstanding balances would erase debts incurred over many years; a colleague and counsel noted logistical and fiscal challenges to reimbursing prior payers and observed the repeal would instead forgive outstanding supervisory-fee obligations going forward.
To ease near-term budget impacts on DOC, the committee adopted a short amendment replacing an immediate effective date with a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027, a change recorded by an 11–0 straw vote in committee. With the amendment in place, the committee agreed to report the bill to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration.
The committee did not vote on final passage; H.635 now moves to the fiscal committee phase for budget and revenue review.
