HB 2843 Summary

• Establishes a veterans' specialty court grant program administered by the Attorney General to support municipalities and counties in creating veterans' court programs that address rehabilitation and reintegration of justice-involved veterans.

• Creates the veterans' treatment court fund with a $4,000,000 appropriation from the state general fund for fiscal year 2025-2026, with continuous appropriation authority for grants to establish and maintain veterans' court programs.

• Grant programs must develop individualized treatment plans addressing underlying causes of veterans' behavior including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, anger management, domestic violence prevention, and substance abuse treatment.

• Requires grantees to submit annual reports by December 31 detailing veterans served, recidivism rates, program completion rates, mental health and substance abuse treatment usage, and program improvement recommendations.

• Mandates the Attorney General submit a comprehensive annual report to the Governor and Legislature by March 1 analyzing statewide veterans' court data, implementation challenges, and recommendations for program enhancement and sustainability.