Amended in Assembly May 31, 2016

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 Chang, Chávez, Cristina Garcia, begin insert Gonzalez, end insert and Hadley)

(Coauthor: Senator Fuller)

January 15, 2016

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

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 begin delete 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, end delete begin insert report to the Legislature on a study of veterans and veterans treatment courts that includes a statewide assessment, as specified, of veterans courts currently in operation and a survey of counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts for the purpose of identifying barriers to program implementation and assessing the need to establish veterans treatment courts in those counties, end insert if funds are received for begin delete the assessment and survey. end delete begin insert that purpose. end insert The bill would require the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature on the results of the begin delete assessment and survey, end delete begin insert study, end insert as specified, on or before June 1, 2019. The bill would create the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury, administered by the begin delete State Controller, end delete begin insert Judicial Council, end insert 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 begin delete assessment, survey, end delete begin insert study end insert and report.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. 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

begin delete do all of the following: end delete begin insert provide a report to the Legislature on a
study of veterans and veterans treatment courts that includes the
following: end insert

(1)  begin delete Assess, on a statewide basis, veterans treatment courts
currently in operation, including the number of veteran participants
in the program, available services, and program outcomes,
including, but not limited to, the number of successful program
completions or program terminations. end delete begin insert A statewide assessment of
the veterans treatment courts currently in operation that includes
the number of veteran participants in the program, services
available, and program outcomes, including successful completion
or program terminations. end insert 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)  begin delete 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. end delete begin insert A survey of
counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts that
identifies barriers to program implementation and assesses the
need for veterans treatment courts in those jurisdictions based on
the veterans services available and the estimated number of
veterans involved in the local criminal justice system. end insert 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 begin delete assessment and survey end delete begin insert study end insert
described in subdivision (a). The report shall include
recommendations regarding the expansion of veterans treatment
courts begin insert or services end insert 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 begin delete 9795 of the Government Code. end delete begin insert 9795. end insert

(c) Fifty percent of the funds required for the begin delete assessment, survey, end delete
begin insert study end insert 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.

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

(e) 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.

SEC. 2.  

If this act is not enacted, the begin delete State Controller end delete begin insert Judicial
Council end insert shall return any funds donated to the Veterans Court
Assessment Fund or donated for the purpose of carrying out the
begin delete assessment, survey, end delete begin insert study end insert 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.

SEC. 3.  

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
begin delete assessment, survey, end delete begin insert study end insert and report described in Section 68530
of the Government Code.

SEC. 4.  

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 begin delete assessment, survey, end delete
begin insert study end insert and report described in Section 68530 of the Government
Code.