By:  Coleman, Naishtat (Senate Sponsor - Nelson)                  H.B. No. 2609
	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 7, 2003; 
May 9, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on Health 
and Human Services; May 22, 2003, reported favorably by the 
following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 22, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the establishment of mental health court programs.              
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subtitle E, Title 7, Health and Safety Code, is 
amended by adding Chapter 616 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 616.  MENTAL HEALTH COURT PROGRAMS
	Sec. 616.001.  MENTAL HEALTH COURT PROGRAM DEFINED.  In this 
chapter, "mental health court program" means a program that has the 
following essential characteristics:
		(1)  the integration of mental illness treatment 
services and mental retardation services in the processing of cases 
in the judicial system;
		(2)  the use of a nonadversarial approach involving 
prosecutors and defense attorneys to promote public safety and to 
protect the due process rights of program participants;
		(3)  early identification and prompt placement of 
eligible participants in the program;
		(4)  access to mental illness treatment services and 
mental retardation services;
		(5)  ongoing judicial interaction with program 
participants;         
		(6)  diversion of potentially mentally ill or mentally 
retarded defendants to needed services as an alternative to 
subjecting those defendants to the criminal justice system;
		(7)  monitoring and evaluation of program goals and 
effectiveness;   
		(8)  continuing interdisciplinary education to promote 
effective program planning, implementation, and operations; and
		(9)  development of partnerships with public agencies 
and community organizations, including local mental retardation 
authorities.
	Sec. 616.002.  AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM.  The 
commissioners court of a county may establish a mental health court 
program for persons who:
		(1)  have been arrested for or charged with a 
misdemeanor; and       
		(2)  are suspected by a law enforcement agency or a 
court of having a mental illness or mental retardation.
	Sec. 616.003.  PROGRAM.  A mental health court program 
established under Section 616.002 may handle all issues arising 
under Articles 16.22, 17.032, and 46.02, Code of Criminal 
Procedure.
	Sec. 616.004.  OVERSIGHT.  (a)  The lieutenant governor and 
the speaker of the house of representatives may assign to 
appropriate legislative committees duties relating to the 
oversight of mental health court programs established under Section 
616.002.
	(b)  A legislative committee or the governor may request the 
state auditor to perform a management, operations, or financial or 
accounting audit of a mental health court program established under 
Section 616.002.
	Sec. 616.005.  PARTICIPANT PAYMENT FOR TREATMENT AND 
SERVICES.  A mental health court program may require a participant 
to pay the cost of all treatment and services received while 
participating in the program, based on the participant's ability to 
pay.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                           



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