BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 1672


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          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,     |                    |








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          |                |     |Quirk, Santiago,      |                    |
          |                |     |Wagner, Weber, Wood   |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
          |                |     |                      |                    |
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          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  








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            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.








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          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.










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          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