House Engrossed

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-first Legislature First Regular Session 2013

HOUSE BILL 2310

 

AN ACT

 

relating to the administrative office of the courts.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Administrative office of the courts; evaluation and recommendations for mental health courts; report

A.  The administrative office of the courts shall do both of the following:

1.  Evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and accountability of the mental health courts and specialized probation caseloads that currently operate in state and municipal courts.

2.  Develop standards for the design, training in and procedures to establish and implement efficient, effective and accountable mental health courts at the county and municipal levels throughout this state.  In developing the standards, the administrative office of the courts shall take into consideration the evaluations conducted pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection.  The standards shall include data gathering and reporting procedures to facilitate annual evaluations and audits and ensure comparative data across this state.

B.  The administrative office of the courts shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the chief justice of the Arizona supreme court on or before December 31, 2014.

C.  The administrative office of the courts may employ, as necessary, professional consultants, experts and specialists to conduct the evaluation and in the development of the standards, training and procedures.