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ACROSS SESSIONS
- Subject Index: Since 1995
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Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.
1996 SESSION
WHEREAS, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Law recognizes that certain nondelinquent behavior can have serious consequences if not dealt with by the courts; and
WHEREAS, legislation has been enacted to deal with such nondelinquent behavior by provisions concerning children in need of services, children in need of supervision, and status offenders; and
WHEREAS, law-enforcement personnel find that an ever-increasing amount of their time is spent dealing with such children; and
WHEREAS, law-enforcement officers frequently find that they must remain out of service for extended periods awaiting the juvenile's parent or guardian assuming custody of the juvenile; and
WHEREAS, the primary focus of the police officer is the enforcement of the criminal laws; and
WHEREAS, enhancing the ability of the courts to hold the juvenile and/or his or her parents accountable for nondelinquent actions may indirectly reduce juvenile crime by enabling the courts to ameliorate conditions which could lead to delinquent behavior; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commission on Youth, in cooperation with the Department of Youth and Family Services, be directed to examine all existing statutes directly related to children in need of services, children in need of supervision, and status offenders, with particular emphasis on runaways and curfew violators, and recommend revisions for both predispositional and postdispositional alternatives for the courts.
The Commission on Youth and the Department of Youth and Family Services shall complete their work in time to submit their findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1997 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.