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