Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 8, 2016

Amended in Assembly February 23, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1672

Introduced by Assembly Member Mathis

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chang and Chávez)

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January 15, 2016

An act to add and repeal Section 68530 of the Government Code, relating to courts.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1672, as amended, Mathis. Veterans and community courts: Judicial Council study.

Existing law establishes a statewide system of courts with a superior court of one or more judges in each county. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to prescribe the methods, means, and standards for electronic collection of data related to court administration, practice, and procedure.

This bill would require the Judicial Council to conduct, until January 1, 2018, a study on the impact of veterans courts or veterans treatment courts on veterans involved with the criminal justice system, the impact on veterans of lack of access to veterans courts or veterans treatment courts in those counties that do not have them, the utility of community courts as a substitute for veterans courts or veterans treatment courts, and the use of technology to deliver veterans court services to counties without veterans courts or veterans treatment courts, if funds are received for the study, as specified. The bill would require the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature on the results of the study, as specified, on or before June 1, 2019.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 68530 is added to the Government Code,
to read:

68530.  

(a) If the Judicial Council receives funds for the
purpose of implementing this section, the Judicial Council shall,
commencing on January 1, 2017, and concluding on January 1,
2018, study and assess the following:

(1) The impact of veterans courts or veterans treatment courts
on veterans involved with the criminal justice system, including,
but not limited to, the impact on recidivism, mental health,
homelessness, employment, social stability, and substance abuse.

(2) The impact of lack of access to veterans courts or veterans
treatment courts on veterans involved in the criminal justice system
in counties that do not have veterans courts or veterans treatment
courts.

(3) The utility of community courts as a substitute for veterans
courts in begin delete those end delete counties that do not have veterans courts or veterans
treatment courts.

(4) The use of technology to deliver veterans court services to
counties without veterans courts or veterans treatment courts.

(b) On or before June 1, 2019, the Judicial Council shall report
to the Legislature on the results of the study. The report shall
include recommendations regarding the expansion of veterans
court services to counties without veterans courts or veterans
treatment courts, including the feasibility and implementation of
technology that will support that expansion. The report shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

(c) Fifty percent of the funds required for the study and report
described in this section shall be funded by private sources, and
50 percent of the funds required for the study shall be funded by
the state, upon appropriation by the Legislature.

(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020,
and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that
is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.