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Minutes for HB2179 - Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
Short Title
Prohibiting fines and fees from being assessed against a juvenile or a juvenile's parent, guardian or custodian in a case pursuant to the revised Kansas juvenile justice code.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 11, 2025
Jason Thompson, Assistant Revisor of Statutes gave an overview of the bill.(Attachment 1)
Rashane Hamby, Director of Policy and Research at the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas (Attachment 2) Conferee stated wealth based punishment is a poverty tax and fines and fees imposed without regard to the individual's ability to pay, is a system where people who do not have the means are trapped in debt. This bill will stop the cycle of debt, incarceration, higher interest rate and poor credit scores.
Brenna Visocsky, Just Campaign Director, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.Conferee agreed bill is one vital step in building a youth justice system that is effective and achieves it's goals of promoting public safety and improving the ability of youth to live more productively and responsibly in their communities. Conferee urged committee to vote for this bill. A yes vote will be keeping a promise to Kansas kids that a mistake they made as a child will not set them up for a lifetime of failure, but instead we will get them the support they need to thrive now and in the future. (Attachment 3)
Tyler Williams, Kansas Citizen. Conferee stated he is one of the original youth leaders of Progeny. Organization is a youth adult partnership that advocates for youth effected by youth judicial system. Mr. Williams was 13 when he entered the Kansas Juvenile Justice system until a month before his 19th birthday. At release he was about a thousand dollars in debt and was unprepared for life after his release from correctional center. Fees and fines followed him even while at a halfway house and when finished probation the debt was one reason he became homeless. The present system not designed with youth in mind to pay debt and families not able to help with debt. Vote for bill to invest in the youth of Kansas. (Attachment 4)
Desmond E. Bryant-White, Manager of Progeny. Conferee stated Progeny advocates for youth effected by current Kansas Judicial system, by mentorship, leadership development, and advocacy. Kansas should not be balancing the back of their budget off the backs of our young people, and today we the opportunity to change, urged committee to support this bill to invest in youth of Kansas. (Attachment 5)
Nadia Mozaffar, Senior Attorney at Juvenile Law Center. Conferee shared research shows placing fees and fines on juvenile offenders increases recidivism,so eliminating fees and fines is good for public safety. Conferee stressed the economic fairness factor of children from wealthier families can quickly pay off fines and fees, while children without financial resources linger longer in juvenile justice system.(Attachment 6)
Lara Blake Bors, Legislative Subcommittee Chair, Juvenile Justice Oversight Committee (Attachment 7) Conferee pointed out (2003) SB367 already eliminated fines and fees for juvenile offenders.
James Houston Bales, Lead Assistant Public Defender, Sedgwick County Public Defender Office (Written Only) (Attachment 8)
Courtney Fontaine, Institute for Justice (Written Only) (Attachment 9)
Hearing closed on HB2179.
