SB406

Senate Bill 406 amends Arkansas law regarding 'extended juvenile jurisdiction' (EJJ) designations for minors. The bill updates the list of offenses for which the state may seek an EJJ designation for juveniles aged 14 or 15. EJJ allows a juvenile court to impose both a juvenile disposition and an adult criminal sentence, the latter of which is stayed provided the juvenile complies with the terms of the juvenile disposition. The bill specifically lists numerous serious felonies, including various degrees of murder, battery, sexual assault, and crimes involving firearms, that serve as grounds for this designation. It also provides for specific legal processes regarding age and capacity evaluations for younger offenders. The primary purpose is to expand the legal framework through which the state can apply adult-level sentencing structures to serious criminal acts committed by adolescents.