AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT

HB 5357 repeals a provision that required women in the community corrections program for women offenders to pay additional fees for prostitution-related offenses. Specifically, it removes mandatory assessments of $500 for felony convictions or $350 for misdemeanor convictions, which were previously added to court fines. This change directly affects women sentenced to community correctional programs under the program’s eligibility criteria (those sentenced to two years or less or awaiting trial in women’s correctional facilities). The bill eliminates these financial penalties, ensuring women in the program are no longer subject to these extra costs. The bill became law after being signed by the governor on June 24, 2025.