Bill Text: SC S0426 | 2015-2016 | 121st General Assembly | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Mental Health Court Program Act
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-05 - Act No. 30 [S0426 Detail]
Download: South_Carolina-2015-S0426-Comm_Sub.html
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ADOPTED
March 26, 2015
S. 426
S. Printed 3/26/15--S. [SEC 3/27/15 1:25 PM]
Read the first time February 5, 2015.
A BILL
TO AMEND TITLE 14 OF THE 1976 CODE, RELATING TO COURTS, BY ADDING CHAPTER 31, TO ESTABLISH A MENTAL HEALTH COURT PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE FOR A SYSTEM THAT DIVERTS MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS TO APPROPRIATE TREATMENT PROGRAMS RATHER THAN INCARCERATION, TO PROVIDE FOR ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN MENTAL HEALTH COURT, TO PROVIDE THAT EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH COURTS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT SHALL CONTINUE IN EXISTENCE, TO PROVIDE THAT EACH SOLICITOR MUST ESTABLISH A PROGRAM, TO PROVIDE FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR SERVICE AS A MENTAL HEALTH COURT JUDGE, TO PROVIDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH COURT JUDGES HAVE THE SAME PROTECTIONS FROM CIVIL LIABILITY AND IMMUNITY AS OTHER JUDICIAL OFFICERS IN THIS STATE; AND TO PROVIDE THAT SOLICITORS WHO ACCEPT STATE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM MUST ESTABLISH IT WITHIN ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY DAYS.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Title 14 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 14-31-10. This chapter may be cited as the 'Mental Health Court Program Act'.
Section 14-31-20. The purpose of this chapter is to divert qualifying mentally ill offenders away from the criminal justice system and into appropriate treatment programs, thereby reserving prison space for violent criminals and others for whom incarceration is the only reasonable alternative. Offenders with a diagnosed, or diagnosable mental illness generally recognized in the psychiatric community, qualify for participation in a mental health court program.
Section 14-31-30. The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
(1) 'Pre-adjudicatory mental health court program' means a program that allows an offender to expedite the offender's criminal case before conviction and requires successful completion of the mental health court program as part of the agreement.
(2) 'Post-adjudicatory mental health court program' means a program in which an offender has admitted guilt or has been found guilty and agrees to enter a mental health court program as part of the offender's sentence.
(3) 'Combination mental health court program' means a mental health court program that includes a pre-adjudicatory mental health court program and a post-adjudicatory mental health court program.
Section 14-31-40. (A)(1)(a) Except as provided in item (2), each circuit solicitor may establish a mental health court program under one of the formats defined in Section 14-31-30. An offender arrested or convicted for any charges, except those excluded under the provisions of Section 16-1-130, who are suffering from a diagnosed, or diagnosable mental illness, including those with a co-concurring disorder of substance abuse, may be eligible for referral to a mental health court program. In cases involving victims, proper notice shall be given to victims pursuant to Section 16-3-1525. Proper notice to a victim is not achieved unless reasonable attempts are made to contact the victim and the victim is either nonresponsive or cannot be located after a reasonable search.
(b) Each circuit solicitor that accepts state funding for the implementation of a mental health treatment court program must establish and administer at least one mental health court program for the circuit within one hundred eighty days of receipt of funding. The circuit solicitor must administer the program and ensure that all eligible persons are permitted to apply for admission to the program.
(2) Mental health court programs established pursuant to an administrative order issued by the Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court shall continue to operate pursuant to the terms and conditions of the court's orders pertaining to that mental health court program. To the extent that provisions contained in this chapter conflict with provisions contained in those Supreme Court Administrative Orders, the provisions of the administrative orders shall control.
(B) The Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court shall appoint all mental health court judges for mental health courts operating pursuant to subsection (A)(1) and (2). Service as a mental health court judge shall be at the pleasure of the Chief Justice and shall be subject to any limitations and directives issued by the Chief Justice. In order to be appointed as a mental health court judge, a person must be a probate judge, a summary court judge, or an active or retired member of the state's unified judicial system. Service as a mental health court judge is voluntary.
(C) Mental health court judges are entitled to the same protections from civil liability and immunities as judicial office holders in this State."
SECTION 2. The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.
SECTION 4. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
