Senate Judiciary advances Linstead-Gonzales bill to bar juvenile court fees, sends HB 1232 to Committee of the Whole

Senate Judiciary voted to advance House Bill 1232 on March 23, sending the bill as amended to the Committee of the Whole by a 5–2 margin. Sponsors said the bill is a narrow ‘‘cleanup’’ to ensure courts stop assessing and collecting court costs, fees and surcharges against people for conduct that occurred while they were juveniles.

The bill’s sponsors, including Senator Linstead, told the committee HB 1232 clarifies the intent of 2021 reforms (cited at the hearing as House Bill 1315) by preventing courts from adding fees to juvenile records and from attempting to collect fees that should not apply. "This bill simply ensures that the courts abide by the intent of 13‑15, clarifying that fees, costs, and surcharges simply cannot be assessed and forced or collected against a juvenile or their family," Linstead said.

Why it matters: Witnesses said inconsistencies in how courts implemented the 2021 law left some juveniles and families still billed for costs that should have ended. Bree Buentejo, associate executive director at Stand for Children, told the committee that Colorado previously forgave an estimated $10,400,000 in outstanding juvenile-fee debt and urged the committee to close remaining gaps. "When we impose court costs and financial penalties on children and their families, we're not promoting accountability," Buentejo said. "We are creating additional financial barriers for families who oftentimes are already struggling."

Testimony and evidence: Natalie Perez, an organizer with Stand for Children, read testimony on behalf of Mariah Rodriguez, who described personal family effects from long-ago fees and urged passage. The testimony said that before the 2021 reform families paid an average of about $300 in juvenile fees and that more than $1,000,000 was charged statewide annually; those figures were presented as estimates in testimony to illustrate the policy problem.

Implementation and questions: Terry Scanlon, legislative liaison for Colorado courts, told the committee the branch generally stopped collections after the 2021 law but noted statutory language still distinguishes between "assessing" and "collecting." He said some courts may still assess fees because of uncertainty about the change and that HB 1232 would prevent future assessment in those cases. "If it's assessed, a really well‑intentioned juvenile may pay what they're owed even if we're not attempting to collect," Scanlon said, explaining the practical difference the bill seeks to remove.

Amendment and procedure: Committee members adopted a committee amendment (L1) proposed by the sponsors to tighten language for clarity. After closing remarks from sponsors, the committee voted to advance the bill to the Committee of the Whole. The clerk recorded the roll-call result as: Carson — No; Doherty — Yes; Henriksen — Yes; Wallace — Yes; Zamora Wilson — No; Roberts — Aye; Chair — Yes (vote announced 5–2).

What's next: With the committee’s vote, HB 1232 will be considered by the Committee of the Whole. Sponsors asked members to support the bill to finalize the statutory fix and ensure consistent statewide implementation.