Committee directs DHS to create rules on juvenile restrictive housing, shifting details from statute
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Summary
House Bill 921 was amended to instruct the Department of Human Services to issue regulations governing restrictive housing for juvenile detainees rather than spelling the details in statute; advocates supported the regulatory approach and the committee passed the amendment unanimously.
House Bill 921, dealing with confinement and restrictive-housing limitations for juveniles, was amended in committee to move substantive details into administrative regulation.
Delegate Moreno, the bill sponsor, explained that the amendment "basically instructs DHS to create regulations that involve restrictive housing of juvenile delinquents," changing the approach from statutory prescription to rulemaking. Committee members and the chair noted advocates supported handling the matter through regulations and emphasized that the amendment also specified requirements for regular medical and behavioral-health assessments of detained youth.
Members briefly discussed the increased flexibility this provides both for facilities and for detainees, acknowledging that local backlog and jurisdictional differences mean the operational effect will vary. The committee voted unanimously to adopt the amendment and to advance the bill; the clerk announced an 18–0–0–0–1 roll-call result.
The amendment's delegation of authority to DHS means the department will be tasked with drafting administrative rules; the timeline for that rulemaking was not specified in the transcript. The bill moves forward after committee passage and will require follow-up to track DHS rule development and any subsequent floor action.
