WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Senate this week passed a bipartisan juvenile justice bill, years in the works, that aims to secure greater protections for at-risk youth.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse announced Tuesday that the Senate that night passed by unanimous consent the measure, which he wrote jointly with Sen. Charles Grassley, a Republican from Iowa. Whitehouse and Grassley have been pursuing its passage since 2014.

If enacted into law, the proposal would require states to comply with its provisions in order to receive certain federal funding. It would dictate that states employ trauma-informed screening for youth who enter the system, and promote community-based alternatives to detaining young offenders. Judges would no longer be able to detain youth for offenses such as truancy, running away, or violating tobacco and alcohol laws.

[For more on this story by Katie Mulvaney, go to https://www.providencejournal....uvenile-justice-bill]