BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 674
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   January 21, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                    AB 674 (Salas) - As Amended:  January 4, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Public  
          SafetyVote:   7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill makes a series of changes designed to address the  
          treatment of veterans convicted of criminal offenses as a result  
          of post-traumatic stress-related disorders. Specifically, this  
          bill:

          1)Adds sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, and mental health  
            problems to the list of service-related conditions (current  
            law specifies post-traumatic stress disorder and psychological  
            problems) that may result in a post-conviction referral into a  
            related treatment program. 

          2)Deletes the reference to service in a "combat theater" as a  
            prerequisite for a determination of a post-traumatic  
            stress-related condition referenced in (1), above. 

          3)Adds veterans' courts to the alternative treatment programs  
            that a convicted veteran may be referred to if a court  
            concludes the offense was committed as a result of the  
            conditions referenced in (1), above.

          4)Deletes a provision of current law that specifies a court may  
            refer a veteran defendant to a county mental health agency  
            only if that agency has agreed to accept responsibility for  
            that defendant. (Current law already specifies that a county  
            is required to provide mental health services only to the  
            extent resources are available for that purpose.) 

          5)Deletes a provision of current law that allows a veteran  
            committed to a residential treatment program pursuant to this  
            section, to earn sentence credits for the time spent in the  








                                                                  AB 674
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            program.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          The proposed clarifying changes should have only a minor effect  
          on court-related and local program costs.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The author contends the proposed changes more  
            accurately reflect post-traumatic stress conditions. 

           2)Suggested Amendment  . The author's office has agreed to delete  
            the provision adding veterans' courts to the alternative  
            programs a convicted veteran may be referred to, as veterans'  
            courts have not been established in state law.
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081