BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1925
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 5, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1925 (Salas) - As Amended: April 20, 2010
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes superior courts to develop and implement
veterans courts with specified objectives. Program details -
eligibility, methodology, treatment and supervision
requirements, standards, and funding - are left to the
determination of a collaborative process between the presiding
judge and the board of supervisors. The stated objectives of
this proposal are:
1)To increase cooperation between the criminal justice,
veterans, and substance abuse systems.
2)To create a dedicated calendar or a locally developed
collaborative court-supervised veterans mental health program.
3)To reduce the involvement of veterans in the criminal justice
system and time in jail by making mental health service for
veterans available in the least restrictive environment
possible while promoting public safety.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)No direct fiscal impact as the bill is permissive and courts
may already establish veterans courts - or other specialty
courts. To the extent this bill results in the establishment
of additional veterans courts, however, there would be new
costs that could range from minor redirected court costs into
the low hundreds of thousands of dollars for dedicated
personnel, depending how the veterans' court is structured.
2)To the extent in fewer veterans sentenced to state prison,
AB 1925
Page 2
there could be significant annual net GF savings, potentially
in the millions of dollars. Potential savings depend on how
many offenders participate, program success rates, and
recidivism rates. Savings would be at least partially offset
by the cost of community and mental health services provided
to diverted offenders.
3)This bill is keyed a reimbursable state mandate. The committee
may wish to clarify that the bill does not require counties to
provide services should a court opt to establish a veterans
court, pursuant to current law.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author contends this bill will encourage more
courts and counties to establish veterans courts.
According to the author, "Veterans with combat-related mental
illness in the criminal justice system often face unique
challenges which traditional courts are often ill-equipped to
address. AB 1925 modifies the California Penal Code to better
address the particular needs of veterans by providing a
template for the creation of new veterans courts throughout
the state. AB 1925 sets the stage for the formalization of
relationships between judges, district attorneys, public
defenders, veterans' service agencies, residential treatment
organizations, and others."
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081