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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 545 By: Pugh
58	58
59	59
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62	62
63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to veterans’ treatment programs;
66	66	creating the Oklahoma Veterans ’ Treatment Act;
67	67	providing short title; defining terms; authorizing
68	68	creation of certain treatment program; directing
69	69	development and implementation of certain program;
70	70	specifying funding source for certain program;
71	71	establishing eligibility requirements for certain
72	72	program; establishing duties and responsibilities o f
73	73	certain team or coordinator; requiring certain
74	74	waivers; directing disposition of certain case;
75	75	prohibiting amendment of certain agreement;
76	76	construing provisions; requiring execution of certain
77	77	written agreement; authorizing sanctions under
78	78	certain circumstances; establishing procedures for
79	79	relapse and revocation; authorizing order for
80	80	participation in certain treatment; providing time
81	81	limitation for certain program ; authorizing order for
82	82	payment of certain fees and costs; authorizing
83	83	certain orders relate d to driving privileges;
84	84	providing for codification; and providing an
85	85	effective date.
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88	88
89	89
90	90
91	91	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
92	92	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new sec tion of law to be codified
93	93	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 481 of Title 22, unless there is
94	94	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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146	146	A. This section shall be known and may be cited as the
147	147	“Oklahoma Veterans’ Treatment Act”.
148	148	B. As used in this section:
149	149	1. “Service member” means any current or reserve member of the
150	150	United States Armed Forces including a member of the reserves or
151	151	National Guard;
152	152	2. “Veteran” means any former member of the United States
153	153	military including a member of th e reserves and National Guard as
154	154	defined by the United States Department of Veterans Affair s; and
155	155	3. “Veterans’ Treatment Program” means a judicial process that
156	156	utilizes specially trained court personnel to expedite a case and
157	157	explore alternatives to incarcer ation for veterans or service
158	158	members charged with criminal offenses who need treatment for post-
159	159	traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI),
160	160	mental health issues, or substance abuse treatment .
161	161	C. Any district or municipal cour t of this state may establish
162	162	a Veterans’ Treatment Program pursuant to the provisions of this
163	163	section.
164	164	D. The jurisdiction may request assistance from the Department
165	165	of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Servi ces, the United States
166	166	Department of Veterans Affairs, or other community-based programs
167	167	and agencies to assist in the development and implementation of a
168	168	Veterans’ Treatment Program and to obtain the necessary treatment
169	169	services which will assure maximum opportunity for successful
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221	221	treatment, education and rehabilitation for offenders admitted to
222	222	the program. Funding for Veterans ’ Treatment Programs shall come
223	223	from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
224	224	through funds budgeted for alternative courts, substance abu se
225	225	treatment, or mental health treatment, the Department of Veterans
226	226	Affairs, grants or any other private or public monies.
227	227	E. Any offender currently charged with or convicted of any
228	228	offense listed in Section 13.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes
229	229	in this state or another state within the last ten (10) years shall
230	230	not be eligible for the program. An offender who has previously
231	231	completed or has been discharged from a Veterans ’ Treatment Program
232	232	within the last three (3) years shall not be eligible for the
233	233	program. Eligibility and entry by an offender into the Veterans’
234	234	Treatment Program is dependent upon approval of the district
235	235	attorney, but shall not be unreasonabl y denied by the district
236	236	attorney. Traditional prosecution shall be required where an
237	237	offender is determined not appropriate for the Veterans’ Treatment
238	238	Program. Nothing in this section affects the district attorney ’s
239	239	existing authority to amend any charge.
240	240	F. The prosecutor shall refer each applicant to the Veterans’
241	241	Treatment Program team or coord inator prior to determining
242	242	eligibility and entry. The program team or coordinator shall
243	243	provide the prosecutor with all assessments and clinical evaluations
244	244	and inform the prosecutor as to the applicant’s military service and
245	245
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296	296	mental health or substance a buse issues including any evidence of
297	297	PSTD or TBI. The team or coordinator shall make a recommendation to
298	298	the prosecutor as to whether the applicant is a ppropriate for the
299	299	Veterans’ Treatment Program. The district attorney shall make the
300	300	final determination as to eligibility and entry and shall consider
301	301	the recommendation of the team or coordinator along with the
302	302	prosecutor’s assessment as to whether the safety of the victim and
303	303	the community can be reasonably assured.
304	304	G. Upon entering the Veterans ’ Treatment Program, the offender
305	305	must voluntarily agree to waive the rig ht to a speedy trial and
306	306	waive the right to a preliminary hearing. At the time an offender
307	307	is admitted to the Veterans ’ Treatment Program, any bail or
308	308	undertaking on behalf of the offender shall be exonerated.
309	309	H. The disposition of the case shall be as s pecified in the
310	310	written plea agreement whic h sets forth the penalty to be imposed
311	311	for the offense in the event of termination or volu ntary withdrawal
312	312	from the program, and the penalty to be imposed, if any, in the
313	313	event of a successful completion of the pr ogram.
314	314	1. When an offender successfully co mpletes the Veterans ’
315	315	Treatment Program, the criminal case against the offender shall be:
316	316	a. dismissed if the offense was a first felony offense ,
317	317	or
318	318	b. if the offender had a prior fe lony conviction, the
319	319	disposition shall be as specified in the written ple a
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371	371	agreement. The district attorney may dismiss the case
372	372	or offer a disposition including reduction to a
373	373	misdemeanor, a deferred sentence or a sus pended
374	374	sentence. Any statutory preclusion or prohibition on
375	375	offering such dispositions on a plea agreement sh all
376	376	be waived for those who successfully complete the
377	377	Veterans’ Treatment Program.
378	378	2. The court shall not amend the written plea agreement after
379	379	an offender has been admitted to the Veterans’ Treatment Program.
380	380	I. Nothing in this act shall preclude the e stablishment of a
381	381	Veterans’ Treatment Program from utilizing a deferred prosecution
382	382	program as authorized by Sections 305.1 through 305.6 of Title 22 of
383	383	the Oklahoma Statutes.
384	384	J. Nothing in this act shall prohibit any county or municipal
385	385	court from establishing a Veterans’ Treatment Program for
386	386	misdemeanor offenses.
387	387	K. Nothing in this act sha ll prohibit the transfer of the case
388	388	or supervision of a veteran or service member from a county without
389	389	a Veterans’ Treatment Program to one with such a program. Th e
390	390	transfer must be approved by the district attorney and the court in
391	391	both jurisdictions.
392	392	L. The defendant shall execute a written agreement to
393	393	participate in the program and shall agree to all terms and
394	394	conditions of the program including but not limited to the
395	395
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446	446	possibility of sanctions or incarceration for failing to comply with
447	447	the terms of the program.
448	448	1. If the Veterans’ Treatment Program team finds that the
449	449	defendant is not foll owing the agreed terms and conditions or that
450	450	the defendant has engaged i n further criminal conduct, the team may
451	451	request that the court impose reasonable sa nctions including but not
452	452	limited to termination from the prog ram.
453	453	2. The Veterans’ Treatment Program court shall recognize
454	454	relapses and restarts in the program , which are considered to be
455	455	part of the rehabilitation and recovery process. The court shal l
456	456	accomplish monitoring and offender accountability by ordering
457	457	progressively increasing sanctions or providing incentives rather
458	458	than removing the offender from the program when relapse occurs,
459	459	except when the offender ’s conduct requires revocation from the
460	460	program. Any revocation from the Veterans ’ Treatment Program shall
461	461	require notice to the offender and other participating partie s in
462	462	the case and a revocation hearing. A t the revocation hearing, if
463	463	the offender is found to have violated the condition s of the plea
464	464	agreement or performance contract and disciplinary sanctions have
465	465	been insufficient to g ain compliance, the offender sh all be revoked
466	466	from the program and senten ced for the offense as provided in the
467	467	plea agreement.
468	468	M. The court may order th e defendant to participate in
469	469	treatment as recommended. This tre atment may include but is not
470	470
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521	521	limited to PTSD treatment, TBI treatment, mental health or substance
522	522	abuse treatment.
523	523	N. The participation of an offender in the active treatment
524	524	portion of the Veterans ’ Treatment Program shall not exceed thirty -
525	525	six (36) months.
526	526	O. The Veterans’ Treatment Program judge may order the offende r
527	527	to pay court costs, treatment costs, dru g-testing costs, a program
528	528	user fee not to exceed Twenty Dollars ($20.00) per month, and
529	529	necessary supervision fees, unless the offender is indigent.
530	530	P. Notwithstanding any other pro vision of law, if the driving
531	531	privileges of the offender have been suspen ded, revoked, cancelled
532	532	or denied by Service Oklahoma and if the Veterans’ Treatment Program
533	533	court determines that no other means of transportatio n for the
534	534	offender is available, the court may enter a written order requiring
535	535	Service Oklahoma to stay any and all such actions against the Class
536	536	D driving privileges of the offender . The stay shall not be
537	537	construed to grant driving privileges to an offe nder who has not
538	538	been issued a driver license by Service Oklahoma or whose Oklahoma
539	539	driver license has expired , in which case the offender shall be
540	540	required to apply and be found eligible for a driver license, pass
541	541	all applicable examinations, and pay all statutory driver license
542	542	issuance or renewal fees. The offender sha ll provide proof of
543	543	insurance to the court prior to the court ordering a stay of any
544	544	driver license suspension, revocation, cancellation , or denial.
545	545
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596	596	When a court of a Veterans ’ Treatment Program enters a stay against
597	597	an order by Service Oklahoma suspending or revoking the driving
598	598	privileges of an offender, the time period set in the order by
599	599	Service Oklahoma for the suspension or revocation shall continue to
600	600	run during the stay.
601	601	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
602	602
603	603	59-1-1462 TEK 1/17/2023 5:33:01 PM

Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB545 Compare Versions