This bill amends the requirements for the annual report that the attorney general must submit regarding forfeitures of personal property. Specifically, it mandates that the attorney general post a disaggregated report on the Department of Justice website within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year. The report must include completed state forfeiture activity and provide detailed information such as the name of the law enforcement agency involved, the date and type of property seized, the location of the seizure, the alleged criminal offense, the outcome of the suspect's case, and the total value of the forfeited property, excluding contraband. The previous requirement for a categorized accounting of proceeds expended has been removed, and the law enforcement agency is now required to provide the data in disaggregated form to the attorney general. The bill also specifies that the reported data will not include certain types of seized contraband, such as alcohol and controlled substances. The effective date of the act is set for 60 days after its passage. Additionally, the fiscal note indicates that while the bill does not provide funding or authorize new positions, it is expected that the Department of Justice will incur costs related to hiring a full-time paralegal to manage the expanded reporting requirements, with estimated expenditures of $99,000 in FY 2027, $100,000 in FY 2028, and $103,000 in FY 2029.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 617:12
As Amended by the House: 617:12
HB1631 text: 617:12