Senate File 248 - Introduced



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  HATCH


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act providing for the establishment and administration of a
  2    mental health court pilot project.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2788XS 81
  5 rh/pj/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  602.1614  MENTAL HEALTH COURT
  1  2 PILOT PROJECT.
  1  3    The judicial branch shall establish and administer a mental
  1  4 health court pilot project in a county with a population of
  1  5 over three hundred fifty thousand for nonviolent criminal
  1  6 offenders who suffer from mental illness.  The judicial branch
  1  7 shall consult with an advisory committee including members
  1  8 representing the criminal justice system including, but not
  1  9 limited to, judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel; members
  1 10 representing the mental health community; and members
  1 11 representing the pilot project county.  The judicial branch
  1 12 and the pilot project county shall report to the general
  1 13 assembly on the project's operation annually by January 1.
  1 14                           EXPLANATION
  1 15    This bill directs the judicial branch, in consultation with
  1 16 an advisory committee consisting of members of the criminal
  1 17 justice system, the mental health community, and the pilot
  1 18 project county with a population of over 350,000, to establish
  1 19 and administer a mental health court pilot project for
  1 20 nonviolent criminal offenders who suffer from mental illness.
  1 21 LSB 2788XS 81
  1 22 rh:nh/pj/5