AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- FAMILY COURT

HB 6408 authorizes the town of Smithfield to establish a juvenile hearing board, bypassing local regulations, charters, or ordinances that might otherwise prevent this. The bill amends family court procedures to explicitly allow Smithfield to create such a board under specific statutory provisions. This directly affects Smithfield's local government by expanding its authority to handle juvenile cases through a dedicated board. The bill became effective without the governor's signature on July 1, 2025, following passage by both legislative chambers.