Fiscal Committee grants $20 million to restart Youth Development Center settlement hearings after debate over $55 million request

Honorable Jared A. Boille, the newly appointed administrator of the Youth Development Center settlement fund, told the Fiscal Committee the fund will be empty on Oct. 1 unless the legislature provides new money and asked the panel for $55 million to fund hearings and awards through fiscal year 2027.

"The fund as it exists today runs out of money in October of this year. On the 1st of October, there'll be no money in that fund," Boille told legislators as he outlined the backlog of roughly 1,700 pending claims and the administration’s plan to begin hearings the second week of August.

Boille and Attorney General staff described how claims are being processed under a matrix developed with the attorney general’s office and claimed historical average awards of roughly $560,000 per claimant early in the program, with an average of $61,000 per claimant after 2024 statutory changes. The administrator said the legislature’s 2024 changes permit awards to be paid over time—up to 10 years—reducing immediate cashflow needs but not total long-term exposure.

Attorney General representatives told the committee they support the administrator’s request and said the department would review consultant and attorney-fee expenses. "We're all united in our desire to see the bulk of these funds go to claimants and not to administrative costs," the attorney general’s office said, adding that the 33% attorney-fee cap is a statutory maximum and not a guaranteed payment for every case.

Lawmakers posed fiscal and policy questions: some urged a larger appropriation to avoid forcing claimants to seek jury trials (which could produce much larger awards), while others worried about the state’s immediate budgetary capacity. Several members said they would prefer a smaller initial allocation that covers near-term hearings and gives the committee time to reassess after autumn revenue updates.

Senator Gray moved to reduce the administrator's $55 million request to $20 million; Representative Griffin seconded the motion. The committee approved the $20 million award by a show-of-hands vote, which the chair described as appearing unanimous. The chair noted the administrator may return for supplemental funds if the committee later determines more funding is required.

What happens next: the administrator said he plans to begin hearings in August if funds are available and to implement a mediation program intended to resolve some claims more quickly. Committee members asked for follow-up information on outstanding obligations, the number of cases in superior court, and projected long-term liabilities. The administrator and attorney general said they will continue to meet with committee leadership to refine forecasts and administrative costs.

The committee’s action buys the settlement fund several months of activity, but members emphasized the need for continued oversight and clearer cost projections ahead of the October review of state revenues.