California Assembly Bill AB1672 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1672AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 11, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 8, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 23, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mathis (Coauthors: Assembly Members  Chang     and Chvez   Chang,   Chvez,   Cristina Garcia,   and Hadley  )  (   Coauthor:   Senator   Fuller   )  JANUARY 15, 2016 An act to add and repeal Section 68530 of the Government Code, relating to  courts.   courts, and making an appropriation therefor.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1672, as amended, Mathis. Veterans treatment courts: Judicial Council assessment and survey. Existing law establishes a statewide system of courts with a superior court of one or more judges in each county. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to prescribe the methods, means, and standards for electronic collection of data related to court administration, practice, and procedure. This bill would require the Judicial Council to assess, on a statewide basis, veterans treatment courts currently in operation, survey counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts to identify barriers to program implementation, and assess the need to establish veterans courts in those counties, as specified, if funds are received for the assessment and survey. The bill would require the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature on the results of the assessment and survey, as specified, on or before June 1, 2019.  The bill would create the Veterans Court Assessment Fund in the State Treasury, administered by the State Controller, and would authorize the fund to accept private donations, as specified. The bill would appropriate specified sums from the Veterans Court Assessment Fund and from the General Fund for the purpose of conducting the assessment, survey, and report.  Vote:  majority   2/3  . Appropriation:  no   yes  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 68530 is added to the Government Code, to read: 68530. (a) If the Judicial Council receives funds for the purpose of implementing this section, the Judicial Council shall do all of the following: (1) Assess, on a statewide basis, veterans treatment courts currently in operation, including the number of veteran participants in the program, available services, and program  outcomes   outcomes,  including, but not limited to, the number  of  successful program completions or program terminations. 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. (2) Survey counties that do not operate veterans treatment courts to identify barriers to program implementation and assess the need for veterans treatment courts in those jurisdictions based on available existing veterans services and the estimated number of veterans involved in the local criminal justice system. The survey shall identify alternative resources that may be available to veterans, such as community courts or other collaborative justice courts. (b) On or before June 1, 2019, the Judicial Council shall report to the Legislature on the results of the assessment and survey described in subdivision (a). The report shall include 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. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. (c) Fifty percent of the funds required for the assessment, survey, and report described in this section shall be funded by private sources, and 50 percent of the funds shall be funded by the state, upon appropriation by the Legislature.  (d) The Veterans Court Assessment Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. The fund shall be administered by the State Controller. The fund may accept private donations from entities and individuals, and the Controller shall deposit the donations into the fund.   (d)   (e)  This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.  SEC. 2.   If this act is not enacted, the State Controller shall return any funds donated to the Veterans Court Assessment Fund or donated for the purpose of carrying out the assessment, survey, and report described in Section 1 of this act to the entity or individual who made the donation in an amount equal to the donation.   SEC. 3.   The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is hereby appropriated from the Veterans Court Assessment Fund to the Judicial Council for the purpose of conducting the assessment, survey, and report described in Section 68530 of the Government Code.   SEC. 4.   The sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Judicial Council for the purpose of conducting the assessment, survey, and report described in Section 68530 of the Government Code.