Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 41. MINORS

CHAPTER 5. YOUTH COURT ACT

Part 1. General

Office Of Court Administrator To Administer Juvenile Placement Funds -- Allocations -- Deposit Of Unexpended Funds

41-5-130. Office of court administrator to administer juvenile placement funds -- allocations -- deposit of unexpended funds. (1) The office of court administrator shall administer juvenile placement funds appropriated to the judicial branch by the legislature in accordance with this chapter.

(2) For each fiscal year, the office of court administrator shall allocate funds to the cost containment pool under 41-5-132 and allocate the remaining appropriated juvenile placement funds to each judicial district according to a formula recommended by the cost containment review panel provided for in 41-5-131 and adopted by the office of court administrator.

(3) A judicial district may expend funds from its annual allocation for out-of-home placements or for other programs or services intended to reduce or prevent juvenile delinquency subject to the provisions of subsection (4).

(4) (a) Except as provided in subsection (4)(b), a judicial district shall reserve at least 50% of its annual allocation for out-of-home placements and the remainder for programs or services.

(b) A judicial district may reserve more than 50% of its annual allocation for programs or services if:

(i) the programs or services have, based on demonstrated outcomes, reduced the number of placements in correctional facilities or higher-cost residential placements; and

(ii) the judicial district would not require funding from the cost containment pool, provided for in 41-5-132, in the same fiscal year in which the annual allocation is made under this subsection (4)(b).

(5) At the end of each fiscal year, after all valid obligations have been paid or encumbered for payment, the office of court administrator shall deposit any unexpended funds from the judicial districts' annual allocations provided for in this section into the youth court intervention and prevention account provided for in 41-5-2011.

History: En. Sec. 11, Ch. 587, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 482, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 398, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 143, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 8, Ch. 344, L. 2019.