|
Senate Bill 462 |
Senate Author: Huffman |
|
Effective: 9-1-13 |
House Sponsor: Lewis |
Senate Bill 462 amends the Government Code and transfers provisions relating to family drug court programs, drug court programs, veterans court programs, and mental health court programs from the Family Code and the Health and Safety Code to the Government Code in order to consolidate statutory provisions relating to specialty courts. The bill removes provisions relating to program oversight that apply to each type of program individually and instead sets out oversight provisions applicable to all of those specialty courts.
Senate Bill 462 prohibits a specialty court program from operating until the judge, magistrate, or coordinator provides notice and specified documents to the criminal justice division of the governor's office and receives verification of compliance with that requirement from the division. The bill also requires a specialty court program to comply with all programmatic best practices recommended by the Specialty Courts Advisory Council and approved by the Texas Judicial Council and to report any information required regarding program performance to the division. Failure to comply with these requirements makes a program ineligible to receive any state or federal grant funds administered by any state agency.
Senate Bill 462 changes the circumstances under which a court is required to enter an order of nondisclosure for a defendant who successfully completes a drug court program; revises provisions governing the establishment of regional veterans court programs; and establishes provisions governing the payment and collection of fees and costs relating to a drug court program, veterans court program, or first offender prostitution prevention program. Among other provisions, the bill increases the membership, expands the duties, and revises the membership terms of the Specialty Courts Advisory Council and requires the governor to appoint the additional members promptly after the bill's effective date.