Senate File 142 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY BEALL 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 2 mental health court pilot projects. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1490XS 82 5 rh/es/88 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. MENTAL HEALTH COURT PILOT PROJECTS. The 1 2 judicial branch shall establish and administer a mental health 1 3 court pilot project for nonviolent criminal offenders who 1 4 suffer from mental illness in a county with a population of up 1 5 to fifty thousand, in a county with a population of more than 1 6 fifty thousand but not more than one hundred thousand, and in 1 7 a county with a population of more than one hundred thousand. 1 8 The mental health court pilot projects shall be established 1 9 for a three=year period beginning January 1, 2008. The 1 10 judicial branch shall consult with an advisory committee which 1 11 includes members representing the criminal justice system 1 12 including but not limited to judges, prosecutors, and defense 1 13 counsel; members representing the mental health community; and 1 14 members representing the pilot project counties. The judicial 1 15 branch and the pilot project counties shall report to the 1 16 general assembly on the operation of the projects annually by 1 17 December 15. 1 18 EXPLANATION 1 19 This bill directs the judicial branch, in consultation with 1 20 an advisory committee consisting of members of the criminal 1 21 justice system, the mental health community, and the pilot 1 22 project counties, to establish and administer mental health 1 23 court pilot projects for nonviolent criminal offenders who 1 24 suffer from mental illness in three counties: one county with 1 25 a population of up to 50,000, one county with more than 50,000 1 26 up to 100,000, and one county with more than 100,000. The 1 27 mental health court pilot projects shall be established for a 1 28 three=year period beginning January 1, 2007. 1 29 LSB 1490XS 82 1 30 rh:nh/es/88