The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives last week reconciled differences on the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018, which includes language from a related reform measure cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
The Senate on Dec. 11 approved by voice vote H.R. 6964, which includes language from the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act, S. 860, a bipartisan bill for which Sen. Tillis is an original cosponsor to secure new protections for minors and strengthen accountability measures in the federal juvenile justice grant program.
“I applaud the Senate on passing this important bipartisan legislation to support juvenile justice and delinquency prevention because I’ve seen the direct result of that progress in North Carolina,” Sen. Tillis said on Dec. 13.
“The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act is a commonsense, bipartisan compromise that will produce those outcomes on the federal level,” he added.
The House on Dec. 13 unanimously agreed to the Senate-amended H.R. 6964. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump for his signature to become law.
Sen. Tillis’ office said inclusion of S. 860 in the Senate-approved bill would help decrease the number of incarcerated youth in America, improve safeguards for minors who encounter the justice system, and boost transition services for them. The bill, he added, is a bicameral compromise that blends the previous Senate and House versions.