BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1672 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 1672 (Mathis) As Amended May 31, 2016 2/3 vote ------------------------------------------------------------------ |Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Public Safety |7-0 |Jones-Sawyer, | | | | |Melendez, Lackey, | | | | |Lopez, Low, Quirk, | | | | |Santiago | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Veterans |9-0 |Irwin, Chávez, | | |Affairs | |Achadjian, Alejo, | | | | |Brown, Daly, Frazier, | | | | |Mathis, Salas | | | | | | | |----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------| |Appropriations |20-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow, | | | | |Bloom, Bonilla, | | | | |Bonta, Calderon, | | | | |Chang, Daly, Eggman, | | | | |Gallagher, Eduardo | | | | |Garcia, Roger | | | | |Hernández, Holden, | | | | |Jones, Obernolte, | | AB 1672 Page 2 | | |Quirk, Santiago, | | | | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | | | | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ SUMMARY: Requires the Judicial Council to conduct a statewide assessment of the veterans treatment courts, as specified, and provide a report to the Legislature on or before June 1, 2019, if funding is received for this purpose. Specifically, this bill: 1)Provides that this study of veterans and veterans treatment courts shall include 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. 2)States that 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. 3)States that the report shall include a survey of counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts and 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. 4)Specifies that the survey shall identify alternative resources that may be available to veterans, such as community courts or other collaborative justice courts. 5)Provides that the report to the Legislature shall include AB 1672 Page 3 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. 6)Requires 50% of the cost of this study to be funded by private sources and 50% to be funded by the state, upon appropriation by the Legislature. 7)Creates the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury, which is to be administered by the Judicial Council. 8)Specifies that the Veterans Court Assessment Fund may accept private donations from entities and individuals, and requires the Judicial Council to deposit the donations into the fund. 9)Establishes a sunset date of January 1, 2020 for these provisions. 10)States if the provisions of this bill are 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 to the entity or individual who made the donation in an amount equal to the donation. 11)Appropriates $100,000 from the Veterans Court Assessment Fund to the Judicial Council for the purpose of conducting the study and report. 12)Appropriates $100,000 from the General Fund to the Judicial Council for the purpose of conducting the study and report. AB 1672 Page 4 EXISTING LAW: 1)Vests in the superior courts the judicial power of California. 2)Establishes the Judicial Council and authorizes them to make rules and recommendations regarding the operation of the courts. 3)Allows courts to make rules for the administration of the courts so long as they are not otherwise prohibited by the Constitution, statute or rules adopted by the Judicial Council. 4)Requires judges to identify veteran defendants suffering from sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of his or her service and use this status as a factor in favor of granting probation and/or ordering participation in approved treatment programs. FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, one-time cost of $200,000 to Judicial Council, to be covered as follows: a)General Fund appropriation of $100,000 included in this bill. b)Veterans Court Assessment Fund appropriation of $100,000. This fund is created in this bill and is to serve as a depository for private donations. AB 1672 Page 5 COMMENTS: According to the author, "Every veteran deserves access to courts specifically designed to assist them through our complex justice system. These courts also provide vital information on mental health and substance abuse recovery programs. As such, counties with veterans' courts should support counties without them. AB 1672 will commission a study on the costs associated with permitting counties with veterans courts to provide services to counties without the courts. This simple measure will ensure that no veteran is left without the representation they deserve." Analysis Prepared by: Stella Choe/ PUB. S. / (916) 319-3744 FN: 0003143