Amended in Assembly April 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

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

(Coauthors: Assembly Members begin delete Chang and Chávez end delete begin insert Chang, Chávez, Cristina  end insert begin insert Garcia, and Hadley end insert )

begin insert

(Coauthor: Senator Fuller)

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January 15, 2016

An act to add and repeal Section 68530 of the Government Code, relating to begin delete courts. end delete begin insert courts, and making an appropriation therefor. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1672, as amended, Mathis. Veterans treatment courts: Judicial Council assessment and survey.

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 assess, on a statewide basis, veterans treatment courts currently in operation, survey counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts to identify barriers to program implementation, and assess the need to establish veterans courts in those counties, as specified, if funds are received for the assessment and survey. The bill would require the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature on the results of the assessment and survey, as specified, on or before June 1, 2019. begin insert The bill would create the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury, administered by the State Controller, and would authorize the fund to accept private donations, as specified. The bill would appropriate specified sums from the Veterans Court Assessment Fund and from the General Fund for the purpose of conducting the assessment, survey, and report. end insert

Vote:  begin delete majority end delete begin insert ²⁄₃ end insert . Appropriation:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . 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
do all of the following:

(1) Assess, on a statewide basis, veterans treatment courts
currently in operation, including the number of veteran participants
in the program, available services, and program begin delete outcomes end delete
begin insert outcomes, end insert including, but not limited to, the number begin insert of end insert successful
program completions or program terminations. The assessment
shall evaluate the impact of a sample of veterans treatment courts
on participant outcomes, including, but not limited to, program
recidivism, mental health, homelessness, employment, social
stability, and substance abuse.

(2) Survey counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts
to identify barriers to program implementation and assess the need
for veterans treatment courts in those jurisdictions based on
available existing veterans services and the estimated number of
veterans involved in the local criminal justice system. The survey
shall identify alternative resources that may be available to
veterans, such as community courts or other collaborative justice
courts.

(b) On or before June 1, 2019, the Judicial Council shall report
to the Legislature on the results of the assessment and survey
described in subdivision (a). The report shall include
recommendations regarding the expansion of veterans treatment
courts to counties without veterans treatment courts and shall
explore the feasibility of designing regional model veterans
treatment courts through the use of service coordination or
technological resources. The report shall be submitted in
compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

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

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(d) The Veterans Court Assessment Fund is hereby created in
the State Treasury. The fund shall be administered by the State
Controller. The fund may accept private donations from entities
and individuals, and the Controller shall deposit the donations
into the fund.

end insert begin delete

(d)

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begin insert (e) end insert  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.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert begin insert

If this act is not enacted, the State Controller shall
return any funds donated to the Veterans Court Assessment Fund
or donated for the purpose of carrying out the assessment, survey,
and report described in Section 1 of this act to the entity or
individual who made the donation in an amount equal to the
donation.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

end insert begin insert

The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)
is hereby appropriated from the Veterans Court Assessment Fund
to the Judicial Council for the purpose of conducting the
assessment, survey, and report described in Section 68530 of the
Government Code.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

end insert begin insert

The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)
is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Judicial
Council for the purpose of conducting the assessment, survey, and
report described in Section 68530 of the Government Code.

end insert