BILL NUMBER: AB 1672 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
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
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mathis
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chang, Chávez, Cristina Garcia,
Gonzalez, 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 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,
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, if funds are received for
the assessment and survey. that purpose. The
bill would require the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature
on the results of the assessment and survey,
study, as specified, on or before June 1, 2019. The bill would
create the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury,
administered by the State Controller,
Judicial Council, 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,
study 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 do
all of the following: provide a report to the
Legislature on a study of veterans and veterans treatment courts that
includes 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
outcomes, including, but not limited to, the number of successful
program completions or program terminations. 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. 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.
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. 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 study described in subdivision (a). The
report shall include recommendations regarding the expansion of
veterans treatment courts or services 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. 9795.
(c) Fifty percent of the funds required for the
assessment, survey, study 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 State
Controller. Judicial Council. The fund may
accept private donations from entities and individuals, and the
Controller Judicial Council 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 State Controller
Judicial Council shall return any funds donated
to the Veterans Court Assessment Fund or donated for the purpose of
carrying out the assessment, survey, study
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
assessment, survey, study 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 assessment, survey,
study and report described in Section 68530 of the
Government Code.