25 LC 62 0115
Senate Bill 286
By: Senator James of the 28th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Titles 15 and 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts and
1
penal institutions respectively, so as to provide for substance abuse programs and mental2
health treatment programs in county and municipal jails for inmates and applicants to such3
programs; to provide for drug court divisions and mental health court divisions to establish4
procedures for voluntary admission into such programs; to provide for rules and regulations;5
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7
SECTION 1.8
Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts, is amended by adding9
new Code sections to Chapter 1, relating to general provisions, to read as follows:10
"15-1-15.1.
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(a) Drug court divisions shall create petitions and establish procedures for inmates and12
applicants to voluntarily enter into substance abuse programs in county and municipal jails13
created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52.14
(b) Upon acceptance of such petition, a drug court division shall order the petitioner to15
participate in the substance abuse program created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52. The16
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successful completion of the program shall be determined pursuant to the criteria17
established in Code Section 15-1-15."18
"15-1-16.1.19
(a) Mental health court divisions shall create petitions and establish procedures for inmates20
and applicants to voluntarily enter into mental health treatment programs in county and21
municipal jails created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52.22
(b) Upon acceptance of such petition, a mental health court division shall order the23
petitioner to participate in the mental health treatment program created pursuant to Code24
Section 42-4-52. The successful completion of the program shall be determined pursuant25
to the criteria established in Code Section 15-1-16."26
SECTION 2.27
Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to penal institutions, is amended28
by adding a new Code section to Article 3 of Chapter 4, relating to medical services for29
inmates, to read as follows:30
"42-4-52.31
(a) County and municipal jails may establish substance abuse programs and mental health32
treatment programs for inmates and applicants from drug court divisions and mental health33
court divisions to voluntarily enter into such programs pursuant to the rules and regulations34
of the Department of Corrections.35
(b) The Department of Corrections shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to36
establish substance abuse programs and mental health treatment programs in the county37
and municipal jails that opt into such programs and shall establish minimum standards for38
such programs."39
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SECTION 3.
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All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.41
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