Youth Justice Legislative Roundup - Summer 2026

We are pleased to report that a number of pieces of legislation that are supportive for young people have been signed into law this summer. See below for updates to the legislation that we reported on in our last newsletter as well as some additional bills of importance to a trauma-centered approach to youth justice. We invite you to share policies that are being considered in your state so that we can track, respond, and advocate together for what young people need most. 

For the most up-to-date info, check out our 2026 Legislative Tracker.

Age of Jurisdiction

• In Hawaii, Governor Green signed SB 2108 into law! This bill expands the factors that the Family Court must consider in determining whether to waive a minor to adult court to include a child's exposure to adverse childhood experiences, trauma, involvement in the child welfare system, and whether they were a victim of trafficking, sexual abuse, or rape. 

  
  

• In Maryland, Governor Moore signed SB323 into law, which limits the use of automatic transfers of minors to adult court. It will reduce the number of youth currently being auto transferred by approximately 50 percent.  The bill will also eventually end the practice of locking up youth in adult jails. Read more about this historic win.

  
  

• Massachusetts continues to work on legislation (S. 1061) that would gradually raise the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction from 18 to 21 through a phased-in approach. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the bill favorably in late 2025 and it is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. 

  
  

• The Minnesota law which raised the age for prosecuting children from 10 to 13 years old went into effect on August 1, 2026! See this article from The Imprint for more information.

  
  

• The fight continues in New York to keep their raise the age law from being rolled back. Until 2017, New York was one of two states treating all 16 and 17-year-olds as if they were adults. The Raise the Age law went fully into effect in 2019. It provides that youth under 18 years old be handled in juvenile court for all but the most serious offenses. 

Diversion

• In Michigan, Governor Whitmer signed HB 4396 into law! This bill amends the Juvenile Diversion Act to allow access to anonymized records for research purposes. This will assist researchers in assessing diversion programs helping communities to improve and strengthen their programs for young people.

  
  

Legal Representation & Due Process

• California law already prohibits law enforcement from seeking statements or information from a minor while working undercover. This bill  (A. 1905) would extend the prohibition to those who were minors at the time the offense was committed and are under 26 years old while in custody. The bill has passed the Assembly and been referred to the Senate Committee on Public Safety.

  
  

• No movement yet on Illinois’ bill (HB 4640/SB 2973) that would require children to have legal counsel throughout custodial interrogation in cases that could lead to an adult prosecution or sentence.  

  
  

• In Michigan, Governor Whitmer signed SB 81 into law! This bill expands legal representation by the MI Indigent Defense Commission to indigent youth in the youth legal system. It also prevents young people from waiving their right to counsel without first consulting with counsel on the consequences of the waiver and any such waiver must be on the record and in writing. 

Restorative Justice & Community-Based Models

• In Illinois, Governor Pritzker signed HB 4639/SB 2974 into law! As reported on by Illinois’ Juvenile Justice Initiative: “The signed bill encourages juvenile courts to use restorative justice practices by allowing restorative justice alternatives to be considered during sentencing in a juvenile case. It also expands the authority to establish mediation programs by allowing judges and judicial circuits, in addition to State's Attorneys, to develop and implement them. This change will allow more communities to create restorative pathways for youth and expand access to these programs across Illinois.” 

  
  

• New York’s legislation, entitled the Youth Justice Innovation Fund (S643), would earmark millions in unspent Raise the Age dollars and use it to directly fund community-based organizations to provide services to help young people. It has been amended and recommitted to the Senate Finance Committee.

  
  

Restraint, Seclusion & Conditions of Confinement

• Virginia’s legislation (HB 91) directing the Department of Juvenile Justice, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to establish standards relating to limiting room or cell confinement for minors committed to a juvenile correctional facility has been signed into law!

Expungement

• Virginia’s bill (SB 230) allowing for the expungement of juvenile records in cases where the young person was not adjudicated delinquent has been signed into law!

  
  

If you’d like us to include legislation in your state in our next Roundup, please contact Melissa Goemann at mgoemann@nextgejustice.org.