Bill Text: AZ HB2843 | 2025 | Fifty-seventh Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Veterans' court fund; grant program
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - House GOV Committee action: Do Pass Amended, voting: (7-0-0-0-0-0) [HB2843 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2025-HB2843-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: veterans' court fund; grant program |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
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HB 2843 |
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Introduced by Representatives Travers: Kupper, Márquez, Marshall
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AN ACT
Amending title 41, chapter 1, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-200; appropriating monies; relating to the attorney general.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 41, chapter 1, article 5, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-200, to read:
41-200. Veterans' specialty court grant program; veterans' treatment court fund; administration; purpose; annual reports
A. The veterans' specialty court grant program is established for municipalities and counties in this state to establish a VETERANS' court program. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL shall administer the grant program. The ATTORNEY GENERAL shall adopt rules and establish the CRITERIA necessary to implement this section. ANY court PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS section MAY NOT DUPLICATE, DISRUPT OR INTERFERE WITH A VETERANS' COURT established PURSUANT TO SECTION 22-601 OR ANY OTHER COURT PROGRAMS FOR veterans.
B. The grant program shall:
1. Support the rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans as contributing members of their communities.
2. Promote COLLABORATION among prosecutors, defense counsels, JUDGES, COMMUNITY-based support organizations in this state, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the department of veterans' services.
3. Develop and oversee INDIVIDUALIZED treatment plans to address the underlying causes of JUSTICE-involved veterans' behavior, including any of the following:
(a) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
(b) Traumatic Brain Injury.
(c) Anger management.
(d) Domestic Violence prevention and intervention.
(e) Alcohol and drug abuse treatment.
C. The VETERANS' treatment court fund is established consisting of legislative APPROPRIATIONS. The attorney general shall administer the fund. monies in the fund are CONTINUOUSLY appropriated. the fund may be used to PROVIDE MONIES TO MUNICIPALITIES and counties IN THIS STATE TO ESTABLISH A VETERANS' COURT specialty PROGRAM pursuant to this section. Applicants shall submit an application on a form PRESCRIBED by the attorney general. Veteran's specialty court grant Program monies shall be awarded annually to grantees and shall be used for any relevant administrative costs, including hiring personnel to establish and maintain a veterans' specialty court program.
d. The attorney general shall collaborate with county attorneys, municipal prosecutors, public defenders, the Administrative Office of the Courts and any relevant stakeholders to establish the best practices and standards for the administration of veterans' courts and data collection in this state.
e. On or before December 31 of each year, each grantee shall submit a report to the ATTORNEY GENERAL that includes all of the following:
1. The number of veterans served, SEPARATED by type of offense, demographics and military service history.
2. Arrest and recidivism rates among veterans' court program participants.
3. Veterans' court program completion rates and participant outcomes.
4. use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services.
5. Recommendations for veterans' court program and veterans' specialty court grant program improvement.
F. On or before March 1 of each year, the attorney general shall submit a comprehensive annual report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives that ANALYzes the data submitted pursuant to subsection E of this section and summarizes and includes all of the following:
1. Statewide data on veterans' court programs that incorporate grantee-reported metrics on participation, recidivism and treatment outcomes.
2. Challenges and barriers to veterans' court program implementation, based on grantee feedback and data.
3. Recommendations for enhancing the identification and assessment of veterans within the criminal justice system of this state, including data collection protocols and best practices for cross-agency collaboration and data sharing among federal, state and local stakeholders.
4. Policy and funding recommendations to improve veterans' court program and veterans' specialty court grant program effectiveness and sustainability.
Sec. 2. Appropriation; veterans' treatment court fund; exemption
A. The sum of $4,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2025-2026 to the veterans' treatment court fund established by section 41-200, Arizona Revised Statutes, as added by this act.
B. The appropriation made in subsection A of this section is exempt from the provisions of section 35-190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations.
