Bill > S7046

This bill revises court-related financial obligations and penalties, including requiring traffic citation forms to inform individuals of their option to pay penalties through community service if they have a demonstrable financial hardship, and mandates that courts inquire about a person's ability to pay before ordering civil penalties. It also reduces the period for driver's license revocation or suspension for certain drug offenses from one year to six months for individuals 18 years of age or older, and for those under 18, it standardizes the license suspension period to six months for drug-related offenses. Additionally, the bill modifies how unpaid court fees and fines are collected by clerks of court, allowing them to use private attorneys or collection agents after attempting internal collection methods and requiring competitive bidding for such contracts, while also prohibiting collection transfer surcharges. It also clarifies that a driver's license may not be suspended solely for failure to pay a penalty if the person demonstrates financial inability to pay, providing specific documentation examples for such inability.