CHAPTER 648
(House Bill 602)

AN ACT concerning

Criminal Procedure - Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy -

Sentencing and Parole

FOR the purpose of requiring circuit courts at the time of imposing certain sentences
to state in open court the minimum time that the defendant must serve before
becoming eligible for parole; providing that the statement of minimum parole
eligibility is informational and not part of a sentence; repealing a provision
concerning use of judicial guidelines; requiring circuit courts to use certain
sentencing guidelines, worksheets, and departure forms under certain
circumstances; requiring clerks of the circuit courts to send certain records
relating to sentences to the State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy;
providing that the failure to give certain statements or make certain records
concerning sentences does not affect the legality or efficacy of a sentence;
authorizing a certain criminal sentence review panel to order a different
sentence, including a decrease in a mandatory minimum sentence otherwise
required by law under certain circumstances; establishing a State Commission
on Criminal Sentencing Policy; establishing the intent of the General Assembly
concerning criminal sentencing; establishing the membership of, appointments
to, terms of the members on, and conditions concerning membership on the
Commission; providing for the initial terms of appointment for the appointed
members of the Commission; providing for certain meetings, rules, and
procedures of the Commission; requiring the Commission to hold its first
meeting no later than a certain date at the call of the Chairperson; requiring
certain State units and local governments and local government units to provide
information to and cooperate with the Commission under certain circumstances;
providing for the employment of a staff under certain circumstances; requiring
the Commission to adopt certain sentencing guidelines under certain
circumstances; requiring the sentencing guidelines to contain certain elements;
requiring the Commission to adopt guidelines concerning corrections options;
requiring the Commission to submit an annual report to the General Assembly
on or before a certain date; requiring the annual report to contain certain
information; requiring the Commission to collect sentencing guideline
worksheets and to automate the information in the worksheets under certain
circumstances; establishing procedures and requirements for changes or
modifications to the sentencing guideline matrices by the Commission requiring
the Commission to adopt certain sentencing guidelines as regulations subject to
the Regulatory Review and Evaluation Act under certain circumstances;
requiring the Commission to conduct certain training, make certain
consultations, and prepare certain statements; requiring the Commission to use
a certain correctional population simulation model and to make the model
available to certain persons under certain circumstances; establishing that
certain inmates are not eligible for parole until they have served a certain
portion of their aggregate sentences under certain circumstances; requiring the