HB 1227 - Problem-Solving Courts Summary

• Amends treatment-based drug court program requirements to allow courts to order eligible individuals into pretrial drug court programs upon written agreement, with programs remaining voluntary in nature.

• Revises data collection and reporting requirements for drug court programs, requiring circuits to report client-level data (primary offenses, treatment compliance, completion status, court appearances) and programmatic information annually to the Office of State Courts Administrator.

• Expands eligibility for pretrial substance abuse education and treatment programs by changing the violence-related exclusion from "is not also charged with" to "has never been charged with" a crime involving violence.

• Modifies admission criteria for pretrial substance abuse programs to remove the specific 1-year minimum duration requirement and allow courts to determine duration based on the defendant's clinical needs.

• Changes references from "treatment program administrator" to "program administrator" in misdemeanor and felony pretrial intervention program provisions for consistency.

• Effective date: July 1, 2023.