AI-generated summary. We recommend consulting the bill text for important decisions.

A "plea in abeyance" is an agreement where a defendant pleads guilty but the conviction is held on pause — if the person completes certain requirements, the charge can be dismissed without a permanent record. This bill requires prosecutors to offer this arrangement to first-time offenders who are 18 years old and charged with retail theft, underage alcohol possession or consumption, or misdemeanor drug possession. When a plea in abeyance is offered under these new requirements, the agreement cannot include jail time or fees of $200 or more, and defendants must be allowed to perform community service in lieu of any fee.