The bill amends sections of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1, which pertains to proceedings in Family Court, specifically addressing the treatment of juveniles during arrest and custody. It introduces new provisions that allow law enforcement officers to take children believed to be delinquent or wayward into custody without a warrant. The bill mandates that beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child known by the officer to be twelve (12) years of age or under may be restrained using handcuffs, except when necessary for public safety or if the child is using or threatening to use physical force against the officer. Additionally, it establishes that no child twelve (12) years of age or under may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent unless there is probable cause that the child has committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment.

The bill also outlines the temporary custody procedures for status and non-offenders, requiring that such juveniles be held in an unlocked, non-residential space under continuous supervision, without being handcuffed to stationary objects. The overarching goal of these amendments is to ensure the protection and fair treatment of young children within the juvenile justice system. The act is set to take effect upon passage.