Law sets juvenile restraint rules and limits impaired-driving program access

Courts must order any use of mechanical restraints on children held before a juvenile court decision, following Judicial Branch policy. This applies to children held in juvenile proceedings before their cases are decided. The law presumes restraints will be removed before and throughout the child's court appearance. These provisions take effect October 1, 2026.

A collaborative lawyer may seek or defend an emergency order for a party or household member when no successor lawyer is immediately available. This applies to collaborative lawyers and lawyers in their firms representing a party or household member in a collaborative law case. The order must protect the person's health, safety, welfare, or interests. The lawyer may act only until a successor lawyer represents the person or reasonable steps are taken to protect them. This provision takes effect October 1, 2026.

The pretrial impaired-driving intervention program does not apply to people who meet specified prior-program, conviction, commercial-driving, or injury conditions. These limits apply to people seeking the pretrial impaired-driving intervention program. A person is excluded for placement in either named program within the ten years before applying, specified in-state or substantially similar out-of-state convictions, certain commercial-driver charges, or an alleged violation causing serious physical injury to another person. The serious-injury exclusion does not apply if good cause is shown. These provisions take effect October 1, 2026.