AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- FAMILY COURT

SB 1140 authorizes the town of Smithfield to establish a juvenile hearing board for handling certain youth-related cases under Family Court rules. This bill directly affects Smithfield by allowing it to create this local board, overriding any conflicting town regulations, charters, or ordinances. The key provision removes barriers to Smithfield’s ability to set up this specialized hearing body, which would handle juvenile matters within the town’s jurisdiction. The bill does not change existing state juvenile court procedures but provides a specific local option for Smithfield.