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 prohibit the handcuffing of children aged twelve years or under at the point of initial contact with law enforcement, except when necessary for public safety or if the child is using or threatening to use physical force against the officer. Additionally, the bill stipulates that no child in this age group may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent unless there is probable cause that they have committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment.

The bill also includes provisions for the temporary custody of status and non-offenders, stating that juveniles taken into custody for non-criminal offenses must be held in an unlocked, non-residential space under continuous visual supervision, without being handcuffed to stationary objects. The act will take effect upon passage.