Amended in Senate August 1, 2016

Amended in Senate June 14, 2016

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 Members Mathis and Eggman

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Quirk)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chang, Chávez, Cristina Garcia, Gonzalez, and Hadley)

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(Coauthor: Senator Fuller)

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(Coauthors: Senators Fuller and Nguyen)

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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 authorizes 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 report to the Legislature on a study of veterans and veterans treatment courts that includes a statewide assessment, as specified, of veterans treatment courts currently in operation and 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 counties, if funds are received for that purpose. 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. The bill would create the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury, administered by the 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 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
report to the Legislature on a study of veterans and veterans
treatment courts that includes the following:

(1) 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) 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 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.

(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 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 Judicial
Council. The fund may accept private donations from entities and
begin delete individuals, and the end delete begin insert individuals. The end insert 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 Judicial Council shall
return any funds donated to the Veterans Court Assessment Fund
or donated for the purpose of carrying out the 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 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 study and report
described in Section 68530 of the Government Code.