Amended  IN  Assembly  March 16, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2023
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 13, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1647

Introduced by Assembly Member Soria

February 17, 2023

An act to add Section 68530 to the Government Code, relating to courts.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1647, as amended, Soria. Veterans treatment courts: grant program.
Existing law establishes a statewide system of courts with a superior court of one or more judges in each county. Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to prescribe the methods, means, and standards for electronic collection of data related to court administration, practice, and procedure.
Existing law requires a criminal court to make a determination as to whether a defendant who was a member of the United States military may be suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of the person’s service. Existing law allows the court to consider these circumstances in granting probation, referring the defendant to mental health treatment, and granting restorative relief, as provided. Existing law authorizes a court to grant restorative relief to a veteran defendant who was granted probation and who met specified criteria, including successful participation in court-ordered treatment services to address sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems stemming from military service.
This bill would require that, on appropriation by the Legislature, the Judicial Council operate a grant program to establish and support veterans treatment courts or the equivalent services in counties where veterans treatment courts would be inefficient or impracticable. The bill would require the Judicial Council to establish standards and procedures for the operation of veterans courts, and condition the award of grant funds on adherence to those standards and procedures.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   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) The Judicial Council shall, on appropriation by the Legislature, operate a grant program for the establishment and support of veterans treatment courts, and the provision of appropriate equivalent services in counties where, because of a lack of a sufficient veteran population or other court resources, operation of a veterans treatment court is inefficient or impracticable.
(b) The Judicial Council shall establish standards and procedures for the operation of veterans courts, and condition award of funds under this section on adherence to those standards and procedures.

SEC. 2.

If this act is not enacted, the Judicial Council shall return any funds donated to the Veterans Court Assessment Fund or donated for the purpose of carrying out the study 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 study 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 study and report described in Section 68530 of the Government Code.