Legislation allowing the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles to provide electronic monitoring services for juvenile offenders awaiting disposition got closer to final passage Thursday.
House Bill 199, by Rep. Travis Hendrix, D-Fairfield, is more narrow than when originally filed.
Proponents have said the bill would expand the state’s electronic monitoring abilities to municipalities that don’t have the resources to do it.
Amendments put on the bill in the Senate more narrowly define the juveniles who could be monitored via ankle monitors or other device. It applies to those who would be charged, if they were adults, with Class A and B felonies, Class C felonies in which a dangerous or deadly weapon is used or was used or attempted to be used in the commission of the felony.
It also applies to a youth who has been adjudicated or convicted of three or more crimes that would be felonies if committed by an adult.
The bill also It also repeals a current 72-hour confinement limit for juveniles who violate court orders.
The bill passed the Senate 33-0 and now the House needs to vote to agree with the Senate changes. It is part of an anti-crime package of legislation supported by Gov. Kay Ivey and legislative leadership.