Colorado HB21-1315: Concerning eliminating certain monetary amounts a juvenile in the justice system is required to pay.

Colorado recently passed a bill that eliminates a number of costs and fees that a juvenile and their families were previously required to pay. The bill also discharges all outstanding juvenile fee debt.

You can read the full text of the bill here.

Key provisions:

• The bill eliminates the following costs and fees that a juvenile or a juvenile’s parent or legal guardian must pay:
  • Cost of care for a juvenile sentenced to a placement out of the home or granted probation as a result of an adjudication, deferral of adjudication, or direct filing in or transfer to district court
  • Costs of prosecution and the amount of the cost of care imposed upon a juvenile who is adjudicated a juvenile delinquent
  • Fees for applying for court-appointed counsel and costs of the representation when a juvenile’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian is determined not to be indigent
  • Costs and surcharges levied on criminal actions and traffic offenses paid into the court district’s crime victim compensation fund and the victims and witnesses assistance and law enforcement fund
  • Surcharges paid into the sex offender surcharge fund by juveniles adjudicated, or who receive a deferred adjudication, for commission of a sex offense
  • Costs of the juvenile’s medical care in the youthful offender system
  • Costs of collecting and testing biological samples from juveniles sentenced to the youthful offender system
  • Time payment and late penalty fees assessed when a juvenile does not pay fines, fees, costs, surcharges, or other monetary assessments in criminal cases
  • Fees related to participating in restorative justice practices
  • Costs and surcharges related to impaired driving
  • The fee assessed on persons required to perform community or useful public service