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Panel advances juvenile‑placement review task force but faces pushback over 6‑month extension for alleged staff assaults
Summary
HB 25‑26 would create a task force to study placement gaps for children in DCS custody and include a provision letting judges extend a child's commitment by six months after a finding of assault against staff; child‑welfare advocates warned the extension could worsen placement shortages and lacked due‑process clarity.
Representative Littleton presented HB 25‑26 as a two‑part measure: establish a juvenile commitment review task force to study service gaps for dependent youth with violent or externalizing behavior and permit a court to order a six‑month extension of commitment if a youth commits an assault on staff at a residential placement. She said the intent is to assure safety and adequate services.
Advocates from Youth Law Center and others argued the six‑month extension risks keeping youth in expensive, inappropriate placements and could exacerbate the problem the task force is meant to solve. "The portion of the bill about the 6 month sentence extensions would allow a youth sentence to be extended if there is an assault on staff at residential placement," said a Youth Law Center attorney, adding that treatment providers already recommend extensions when necessary and that the bill could create perverse outcomes. The committee adopted the amendment package and forwarded HB 25‑26 to Finance, Ways & Means by a recorded vote (9 ayes, 7 nos, 1 present not voting).
