Committee approves DCS task force bill but members spar over 6‑month extension for youth who assault staff

The Senate Judiciary Committee adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 18-68 establishing a juvenile commitment review task force and a limited 6-month extension option for adjudicated delinquent youth who assault staff at residential placements, and sent the bill to the finance committee after recorded roll votes (6 ayes, 3 no).

Sponsor Senator Waller described the task force as an administrative and data-driven response to judges bench-ordering children to Department of Children's Services (DCS) custody without petitions and to gaps in placement options. "This legislation establishes a juvenile commitment review task force to examine the system issues and service gaps affecting youth in DCS custody," the sponsor said, noting a DCS report and a required DCS submission by 02/01/2027.

Jasmine Miller, senior attorney at Youth Law Center, testified in opposition to the 6-month extension language. Miller said treatment providers already recommend sentence extensions based on clinical need and warned the new provision could be used to extend commitments without clinical justification, particularly affecting youth with intellectual or developmental disabilities. "The portion of the bill about the 6 month sentence extensions would allow youth sentences to be extended if there is an assault on staff ... the only use for this new provision would be to commit a youth for an additional 6 months to the custody of the department when the treatment provider has said that they don't think that is necessary or appropriate," Miller said. She cited a $600-per-day treatment bed cost when explaining placement and resource impacts.

Jim Layman, DCS director, testified the amendment addresses a narrow population of already-adjudicated delinquent youth and said juvenile judges and the department would ensure due process before any extension. "This is a very narrow population ... it is children that have already been adjudicated delinquent," Layman told the committee and said the task force will review whether youths are being routed to DCS custody inappropriately.

Several senators, including Senator Roberts, pressed for stronger safeguards and raised concerns about private contractors having financial incentives to keep youth in beds. Senator Roberts said he would vote no until the paragraph allowing the six-month extension had clearer controls. The committee ultimately adopted the amendment and moved the bill to finance, recording six ayes and three noes on the roll call.

Sponsors said the task force and reporting requirements are intended to improve placement decisions and interagency coordination; opponents asked for additional procedural protections and clarity on appeal rights and evidentiary standards.