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HCS/HB 1550 - This act expands the jurisdiction of juvenile courts to include individuals who are over seventeen years of age but not yet eighteen years of age, for the sole purpose of status offenses, by modifying the definitions of "child," "adult," and "status offense." All law enforcement officers, juvenile officers, school personnel, or court personnel shall have civil and criminal immunity from liability for any action taken or failure to take action involving a minor child who remains under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court if such action is based on a good faith belief by such officer or personnel that the minor child is not under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The provisions relating to extension of the juvenile court's jurisdiction shall not take effect until such time as appropriations by the general assembly for additional juvenile officer full-time equivalents and deputy juvenile officer full-time equivalents exceeds by three million eight hundred dollars the amount spent by the state for such officers in fiscal year 2007. This act also provides that the office of state courts administrator shall conduct a study and report to the general assembly by June 30, 2009, on the impact of changing the definition of child as required under this act. The report shall contain information regarding the impact on caseloads of juvenile officers, including the average increase in caseload per juvenile officer for each judicial circuit, and the number of children affected by the change in definition. This act is substantially similar to SCS/SB 1054(2008). ADRIANE CROUSE
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