The Judiciary Committee met this afternoon and considered a couple of bills.
House Bill 2160 allows the DMV to issue certain identification documents to legal residents of the state who are homeless, residing at homeless shelters in the state, at no cost. The strike and insert amended bill advanced.
House Bill 2257 extends supervision for certain drug offenders. The bill establishes a supervised release penalty of up to 10 years for certain drug offenders, including fentanyl. It sets the terms and fees for supervised release. This only applies to secondary or subsequent offenses on manufacturing, possession, or distributing.
Opponents of the bill stressed the negative affect of extended supervision. After serving time, it is difficult for an individual to find a job and often find themselves at homeless shelters. A person would not be able to afford additional fees associated with an ankle monitor and extended supervision. Opponents also noted this adds additional barriers to those working on re-entry and getting their lives back together.
The bill was amended that a judge may terminate the supervised release and discharge the the defendant released at any time after 6 months of supervise released. The bill advances to the floor.
House Bill 4372 and House Bill 4329 were removed from the agenda at the start of the meeting.
