A bill to reform how legal financial obligations work (LFOs), HB 1783, has moved through the House and has been sent to the Senate Law & Justice Committee. AWC is working to ensure the bill has minimal impact on city municipal court systems. The bill would do a number of things:
- Eliminates interest accrual on some portions of LFOs.
- Provides that a court may not impose costs on a defendant who is indigent.
- Establishes provisions governing payment plans and priority of payment of LFOs.
- Addresses actions a court may take in sanction proceedings for failure to pay.
- Establishes standards for what constitutes willful failure to pay and sets forth what action a court make take in those cases.
- Allows unpaid fines, penalties and fees to be converted to community service hours if the jurisdictions operate a community service program.