Juvenile Fee Transparency Act

Juvenile Fee Transparency Act

This bill amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 to require a state that receives a formula grant under the juvenile justice and delinquency prevention program to provide certain information on juvenile justice fees.

Specifically, the bill requires a state's juvenile justice plan to provide information on:

• state- or court-imposed fines and fees on a juvenile or guardian of a juvenile in the juvenile justice system;
• the total amount of fines and fees that are imposed, paid, and outstanding; and
• the use of hearings to determine ability to pay and the right to counsel during such hearings.

The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on juvenile justice fees, including the: (1) differences across jurisdictions, racial demographics, and income levels; (2) impact of such differences on juvenile involvement in the system and recidivism; and (3) consequences of failing to pay such fees.