2005 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1155 – Bail, purpose, forfeiture

SENATE BILL NO. 1155

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Bill Status



S1155................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
BAIL - Amends existing law to set forth the purpose of bail; to revise
provisions applicable to the forfeiture of bail; and to clarify that
certain contractual remedies of a bail surety or bail agent are not
limited.
                                                                        
02/17    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/18    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   First Regular Session - 2005
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1155
                                                                        
                              BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO BAIL; AMENDING SECTION 19-2902, IDAHO CODE, TO SET FORTH THE  PUR-
  3        POSE  OF  BAIL  AND  TO  PROVIDE  DESCRIPTIVE  LANGUAGE;  AMENDING SECTION
  4        19-2927, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO THE FORFEITURE  OF
  5        BAIL;  AND  AMENDING  SECTION 41-1042, IDAHO CODE, TO CLARIFY THAT CERTAIN
  6        CONTRACTUAL REMEDIES OF A BAIL SURETY OR BAIL AGENT ARE NOT LIMITED.
                                                                        
  7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  8        SECTION 1.  That Section 19-2902, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
  9    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 10        19-2902.  TAKING  OF BAIL DEFINED -- PURPOSE. (1)  The taking of bail con-
 11    sists in the acceptance by a competent court or magistrate, of the undertaking
 12    of sufficient bail for the appearance of the defendant, according to the terms
 13    of the undertaking, or that the bail will pay to the state a specified sum.
 14        (2)  A primary purpose of bail is to ensure the attendance of the  defend-
 15    ant  in  court.  The bail bond posted by a surety creates a monetary incentive
 16    for the surety to locate and return to custody a defendant who fails to appear
 17    in court. It is not the purpose of bail to generate revenue for the  state  of
 18    Idaho.  The  provisions  of this chapter shall be interpreted and applied in a
 19    manner consistent with the purpose of bail as set forth in  this  section  and
 20    other applicable statutes and statewide court rules.
                                                                        
 21        SECTION  2.  That  Section 19-2927, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 22    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 23        19-2927.  FORFEITURE OF BAIL.  (1)  If,  without  sufficient  excuse,  the
 24    defendant neglects fails to appear before the court upon any occasion when his
 25    presence  has  been  ordered  the court must immediately direct the fact to be
 26    entered upon its minutes, order the forfeiture of the undertaking of bail,  or
 27    the  money  deposited instead of bail, as the case may be, and order the issu-
 28    ance of a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant. The clerk shall  mail
 29    written notice within five (5) days of the forfeiture for failure to appear to
 30    the  last  known  address of the person posting the undertaking of bail or, if
 31    the bail consists of a surety bond, to the surety bail agent's address located
 32    on the bond. A failure to give accurate and timely notice shall exonerate  the
 33    bail  or  undertaking. If at any time within ninety (90) days after such entry
 34    in the minutes, the defendant is taken into custody in Idaho or the  defendant
 35    voluntarily  appears,  and satisfactorily excuses his neglect, the court shall
 36    direct the forfeiture of the undertaking or the deposit to be exonerated.
 37        If within ninety (90) days of the date of forfeiture, a person, other than
 38    the defendant, who has provided bail for the defendant, surrenders the defend-
 39    ant to any Idaho peace officer,  the  undertaking  of  bail  or  deposits  are
 40    thereby exonerated.
 41        (2)  The  court  which has forfeited the undertaking of bail, or the money
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    deposited instead of bail, may, before remittance of the forfeiture, and  with
  2    the  written  consent of the person posting the same, set aside the forfeiture
  3    and reinstate the undertaking of bail or money deposited instead of bail.
  4        (3)  The surety or bail agent shall have one  hundred  eighty  (180)  days
  5    after  remittance of the forfeiture to locate and return the defendant to cus-
  6    tody in Idaho. If the defendant is returned to custody  in  Idaho  within  one
  7    hundred  eighty  (180)  days  after  remittance of forfeiture, the court shall
  8    refund and return the entire payment of the remitted  forfeited  bail  to  the
  9    surety  or bail agent, less an administrative fee retained by the court not to
 10    exceed one hundred dollars ($100).
                                                                        
 11        SECTION 3.  That Section 41-1042, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 12    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 13        41-1042.  COLLECTIONS AND CHARGES PERMITTED. (1) Notwithstanding any other
 14    provision  of  this  chapter,  a bail agent in any bail transaction shall not,
 15    directly or indirectly, charge or collect money or  other  valuable  consider-
 16    ation from any person except for the following:
 17        (a)  To pay premiums at the rates established by the insurer;
 18        (b)  To provide collateral;
 19        (c)  To  reimburse  the bail agent for actual expenses incurred in connec-
 20        tion with the bail transaction, limited to the following:
 21             (i)   Expenditures actually and reasonably incurred to verify  under-
 22             writing information or to pay for notary public fees, recording fees,
 23             or  necessary long distance telephone or telegram fees; provided how-
 24             ever, that the total of all such expenditures  reimbursed  shall  not
 25             exceed fifty dollars ($50.00); and
 26             (ii)  Travel  expenses incurred more than twenty-five (25) miles from
 27             a bail agent's place of business, which includes any city or locality
 28             in which the bail agent advertises or engages in bail business, up to
 29             the amount allowed by  the  internal  revenue  service  for  business
 30             travel for the year in which the travel occurs.
 31        (2)  Except  as  permitted under this section, a bail agent shall not make
 32    any charge for his service in a bail transaction  and  the  bail  agent  shall
 33    fully document all expenses for which the bail agent seeks reimbursement.
 34        (3)  This section does not limit a bail surety or bail agent's contractual
 35    remedies  against  a defendant or bond indemnitor for a material breach of the
 36    terms of the bail contract including, but not limited to, the right to  indem-
 37    nification  of  any  bond  loss  and reasonable investigation, legal and court
 38    expenses actually incurred by the bail surety or bail agent in connection with
 39    a bail forfeiture.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                                   
                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                                 
                             RS15015
                                    
      This legislation modifies bail statutes by stating a primary
    purpose of bail is to ensure the attendance of the defendant
    in court.  This legislation also provides a bail surety or
    agent one hundred eighty (180) days after payment of the bail
    bonds to the court, to locate and return a defendant who has
    failed to appear in court.  It also clarifies the authority of
    the bail surety or agent to enforce the remedies of the bail
    contract if a defendant breaches the contract, specifically
    the right to recover expenses caused by the defendant's breach
    of the contract.


                           FISCAL NOTE
                                    
    No fiscal impact to the State of Idaho.  This legislation
    should reduce the costs to law enforcement for locating and
    returning defendants to the state of Idaho by motivating bail
    sureties and agents to locate and return defendants who have
    failed to appear in court.
    
                                  
    CONTACT
    
    Name:  Steve J. Tobiason
    Phone: 342-4545
      
    
        
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                    S 1155