The Responsible Budgeting for Juvenile Safety Laws Amendment Act of 2025 aims to amend the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975 to ensure that fiscal impact statements for legislation affecting juvenile criminal procedures accurately reflect the anticipated costs associated with detaining, committing, or rehabilitating juveniles. The bill introduces a new subsection that mandates these fiscal impact statements to include any expected increases or decreases in costs related to juvenile detention and rehabilitation, particularly when the population of secure facilities exceeds 90% of their capacity. Additionally, if proposed legislation is projected to increase the juvenile population in these facilities, the fiscal impact statement must also account for the capital costs necessary to expand capacity by at least 10%.

This legislative change addresses a significant bias in the current council practice, where modifications to criminal procedures for juveniles do not undergo the same rigorous fiscal analysis as other youth programs. The bill seeks to rectify this imbalance by ensuring that all legislative changes, especially those that could lead to increased juvenile detention, are responsibly budgeted and reflect the true financial implications for the District.