House File 668 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  FORD


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act providing for establishment of a task force to study the
  2    creation of a single state department with responsibility for
  3    juvenile justice services and programs and including an
  4    effective date.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  6 TLSB 2468HH 81
  7 jp/pj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH SERVICES TASK FORCE.
  1  2    1.  The governor shall establish a task force to conduct a
  1  3 comprehensive review of the existing juvenile justice services
  1  4 and programs available for youth who are alleged to have
  1  5 committed a delinquent act or have been adjudicated as having
  1  6 committed a delinquent act.  The purpose of the review is to
  1  7 determine whether the outcomes for such youth can be improved
  1  8 by creation of a single state department with responsibility
  1  9 for juvenile justice services and programs or by another
  1 10 approach.  The review may consider the funding mechanisms for
  1 11 the services and programs, agencies involved with service and
  1 12 program delivery, areas of overlap, and the approaches used
  1 13 and experiences of other states in administering juvenile
  1 14 justice programs.
  1 15    2.  The membership of the task force shall include
  1 16 representatives of agencies that provide direct services
  1 17 targeted to youth, including but not limited to the
  1 18 departments of education, human services, public health, and
  1 19 public safety; the division of criminal and juvenile justice
  1 20 planning of the department of human rights; juvenile court
  1 21 services; the judicial branch; and juvenile justice services
  1 22 providers and juvenile justice services advocates.
  1 23    3.  The task force shall submit a final report to the
  1 24 governor and general assembly on or before December 15, 2005,
  1 25 containing recommendations, fiscal analyses, and other
  1 26 information deemed pertinent by the task force.
  1 27    Sec. 2.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of
  1 28 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
  1 29                           EXPLANATION
  1 30    This bill directs the governor to establish a task force to
  1 31 conduct a comprehensive review of juvenile justice services.
  1 32 The purpose of the review is to determine whether the outcomes
  1 33 for youth would be improved by creation of a separate state
  1 34 department for youth services or by other means.  The bill
  1 35 provides for the task force's membership and a report deadline
  2  1 of December 15, 2005.
  2  2    The bill takes effect upon enactment.
  2  3 LSB 2468HH 81
  2  4 jp:rj/pj/5