AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONSIDERATION OF PUBLIC SAFETY WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER TO TRANSFER A JUVENILE TO ADULT COURT.

SB 218 amends Connecticut law (sections 46b-127(a)(3)(C) and 46b-127(b)(3)) to require courts to explicitly weigh public safety when deciding whether to transfer a juvenile case to adult court. The bill changes the legal standard to state that public safety must be considered after the court weighs the child's best interests, and that transferring the case to adult court is appropriate only if maintaining it in juvenile court would not serve the public interest. This directly affects juvenile defendants, courts, and prosecutors involved in transfer hearings. The key change is making public safety a mandatory factor in the decision-making process, rather than a secondary consideration.