Juvenile justice task force.

WORKING DRAFT
2006
STATE OF
WYOMING
06LSO-0305

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0082

Juvenile justice task force.

Sponsored by:
Joint Judiciary Interim Committee

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to juvenile justice; creating a juvenile justice task force; specifying membership and duties; requiring a report; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

(a)

There is created a juvenile justice task force consisting of the following members:

(i)

A district court judge appointed by the chief justice of the
Wyoming
supreme court;

(ii)

A circuit court judge appointed by the chief justice of the
Wyoming
supreme court;

(iii)

A municipal court judge appointed by the chief justice of the
Wyoming
supreme court;

(iv)

A law enforcement officer employed by a municipal police force, appointed by the governor upon recommendation of the
Wyoming
association of sheriffs and chiefs of police;

(v)

A law enforcement officer employed by a sheriff's department, appointed by the governor upon recommendation of the
Wyoming
association of sheriffs and chiefs of police;

(vi)

An attorney employed as a county and prosecuting attorney, appointed by the governor upon recommendation of the
Wyoming
association of county and prosecuting attorneys;

(vii)

The attorney general or his designee;

(viii)

The state public defender or his designee;

(ix)

The director of the department of family services or his designee;

(x)

The state superintendent of public instruction or his designee;

(xi)

The director of the department of corrections or his designee;

(xii)

A person who provides services in a youth residential treatment center, appointed by the governor;

(xiii)

A person representing county commissioners, appointed by the governor;

(xiv)

A person representing
Wyoming
municipalities, appointed by the governor;

(xv)

A person who provides services to juveniles in a community mental health and substance abuse center, appointed by the governor;

(xvi)

A member of the state advisory council on juvenile justice created by W.S. 14
‑
10
‑
101, appointed by the governor;

(xvii)

Two (2) members of the senate judiciary committee appointed by the president of the senate;

(xviii)

Three (3) members of the house judiciary committee, appointed by the speaker of the house.

(b)

Staff services for the task force shall be provided by the governor's office.

(c)

Except as otherwise provided, task force members shall not receive any additional compensation for the performance of their duties under this act. Mileage and per diem expenses for members of the task force who are employees of a government agency shall be paid from budgets of their agencies. Salary, mileage and per diem expenses for members of the task force who are legislators serving on the task force shall be paid as provided in W.S. 28
‑
5
‑
101 when attending and traveling to and from meetings of the task force. The members of the task force who are not legislators nor employed by a government agency shall be allowed reimbursement in the same manner and amount as state employees for mileage and per diem expenses incurred when attending and traveling to and from meetings of the task force.

(d)

The task force shall examine the jurisdiction and gatekeeping functions for juvenile justice prosecutions, the services received by juveniles while in the juvenile justice system, the length of time in the juvenile justice system before an offender is released and the preferred outcomes for juvenile offenders.

(e)

The task force shall report no later than October 1, 2006, to the governor, the chief justice of the
Wyoming
supreme court and the joint judiciary interim committee with its recommendations for changes that could remedy any problems the task force identifies with respect to establishment and enhancement of:

(i)

Community prevention and early intervention programs for first time juvenile offenders;

(ii)

Entry screening for juvenile offenders who make court appearances;

(iii)

Early stage assessments of juvenile offenders;

(iv)

Community treatment programs for juvenile offenders upon referrals from the courts;

(v)

Accountability of programs serving juvenile offenders under court order;

(vi)

Client resource manager positions to coordinate services for juvenile offenders and their families;

(vii)

Procedures to eliminate barriers to treatment and establishment of other programs that will improve the juvenile justice system.

(f)

The task force created by this act shall terminate effective December 31, 2006.

Section 2.

There is appropriated from the general fund to the governor's office seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000.00), or as much thereof as necessary, to reimburse travel and per diem expenses incurred by legislators and other members of the task force who are not employed by a government agency, and for other expenses incurred as a result of authorized task force meetings or activities.

Section 3.
This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

1
HB0082