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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES57th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session |
House: APPROP DPA 18-0-0-0 |
HB 2960: veterans' court fund; grant program
Sponsor: Representative Travers, LD 12
House Engrossed
Overview
Establishes the Veteran's Specialty Court Grant Program and its reporting requirements.
The presiding judge of the superior court can establish a Veterans' Court to adjudicate cases filed in a justice or municipal court of the county. The presiding judge of the superior court must establish eligibility criteria for referral to a Veterans' Court. A justice of the peace or municipal court judge with jurisdiction over a case that meets eligibility requirements can refer it to the Veterans' Court (A.R.S. § 22-601, AZ DVS).
Provisions
1. Establishes the Veteran's Specialty Court Grant Program (Program) for municipalities and counties in Arizona to establish a Veteran's Court Program. (Sec. 1)
2. Directs the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to administer the Program. (Sec. 1)
3. Directs the Supreme Court to adopt rules and establish the criteria necessary to establish the program. (Sec. 1)
4. Allows grant monies to be used to establish new veterans' court programs and to expand and enhance existing veterans' court programs. (Sec. 1)
5. Requires the Veteran's Specialty Court Program to do all the following:
a. support the rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans as contributing members of their communities; and
b. promote collaboration among prosecutors, defense counsels, judges, community-based support organizations in this state, the United States Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS). (Sec. 1)
a. post-traumatic stress disorder;
b. traumatic brain injury;
c. anger management;
d. domestic violence prevention and intervention; and
e. alcohol and drug abuse treatment. (Sec. 1)
7. Establishes the veteran's treatment court fund using continuously appropriated legislative monies that the AOC is required to administer. (Sec. 1)
8. Allows the fund to be used to provide monies to municipalities and counties in Arizona to establish a veteran's court program and requires applicants to submit an application on a form prescribed by the AOC. (Sec. 1)
9. Requires fund monies to be awarded annually to grantees and to be used for any relevant administrative cost, including hiring personnel to establish, maintaining or enhancing a veteran's court program. (Sec. 1)
10. Requires the AOC to collaborate with county attorneys, municipal prosecutors, public defenders, the administrative office of the courts and any relevant stakeholders to establish the best practices and standards for the administration of veteran's court programs and data collection in this state. (Sec. 1)
11. Requires each grantee to submit a report to the AOC on or before December 31 of each year that includes all the following:
a. the number of veterans served, separated by the type of offense demographics and military service history;
b. arrest and recidivism rates among veteran's court program participants;
c. veteran's court program completion rates and participant outcomes;
d. use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services; and
e. recommendations for veteran's court program and veteran's specialty court program improvement. (Sec. 1)
12. Requires, on or before March 1 of each year, the AOC to submit a comprehensive annual report to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives that analyzes the data submitted and summarizes and includes all the following:
a. statewide data on veteran's court programs that incorporate grantee-reported metrics on participation, recidivism and treatment outcomes;
b. challenges and barriers to veteran's court program implementation, based on grantee feedback and data;
c. recommendations for enhancing the identification and assessment of veterans within the criminal justice system of this state, including data collection protocols and best practices for cross-agency collaboration and data sharing among federal, state and local stakeholders; and
d. policy and funding recommendations to improve veteran's court program and veteran's specialty court program effectiveness and sustainability. (Sec. 1)
13. Directs the Department of Corrections (DOC) to make reasonable efforts to identify incarcerated individuals in Arizona who are veterans. (Sec. 2)
14. Requires DOC to provide ADVS monthly with a list of incarcerated veterans who have an anticipated release date within 90 days. (Sec. 2)
15. Mandates that the information shared by kept confidential and used solely to enable ADVS to provide benefits. (Sec. 2)
16. Requires ADVS to make reasonable efforts to notify incarcerated individuals identified on the list. (Sec. 2)
17. Requires DOC, by December 31 of each year, to submit a report to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House regarding implementation of this section during the previous fiscal year, including:
a. the number of currently incarcerated veterans as of June 30;
b. the total number of veterans who were anticipated for release from incarceration and who were referred to the ADVS; and
c. the number of veterans who were assisted with initiation, reinstatement or coordination of veterans benefits. (Sec. 2)
18. Defines the term veteran. (Sec. 2)
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Initials DS/JA HB 2960
3/5/2026 Page 0 House Engrossed
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