STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS29153 / H0500
This legislation eliminates fees for children involved in the juvenile justice system and their parents and
guardians. Idaho law currently allows children to be assessed fees exceeding thousands of dollars per case.
The juvenile justice system is meant to be restorative and rehabilitative. Fees undercut this purpose and are
bad for public safety as they force probation officers and juvenile justice system officials to dedicate resources
to collection efforts rather than supervising at-risk youth. This legislation reduces the burden of government
on Idaho families. The bill does not change any law related to restitution.
FISCAL NOTE
The legislation would have a negligible impact on the budget of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections.
Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections collected an average of $246,849 per year from families between FY
2016 and 2020. The collection efforts cost IDJC an average of $94,239 per year in administrative expenses,
reducing its annual net earnings from fees to $152,610 per year. This makes up just .3% of IDJC’s annual budget
($48.4 million). This bill would eliminate IDJC’s ability to collect these fees. Regarding local government, the
legislation would also impact the collection of fees at the county level. From FY2018 to FY2021, the average
per-county amount of revenue generated from juvenile fees was as low as $4,700 per year and as high as $9,800
per year. However, the costs associated with collection of fees reduce the net amount of funds generated by
the imposition of juvenile fees. Additionally, from FY2018 to FY2021, Ada County collected approximately
one-third of all juvenile fees collected by all Idaho counties. A majority of the counties (27 out of 44) collected
less than $10,000 in total revenue from juvenile fees between all four years (2018 to 2021) combined.
Contact:
Representative Marco Erickson
(208) 332-1000
DISCLAIMER: This statement of purpose and fiscal note are a mere attachment to this bill and prepared by a proponent
of the bill. It is neither intended as an expression of legislative intent nor intended for any use outside of the legislative
process, including judicial review (Joint Rule 18).
Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Note Bill SOP/FN INTRODUCED: 01/27/2022, 2:50 PM


Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 16-2405, 16-2433, 19-854, 19-3922, 19-4708, 19-5608, 20-225, 20-501, 20-511, 20-511A, 20-514, 20-516A, 20-519A, 20-519B, 20-520, 20-522, 20-524, 20-529, 20-532, 31-870, 31-3201, 31-3201A, 31-3201B, 31-3201C, 31-3201D, 31-3201E