House Bill 489 Summary

• Establishes the Mississippi Mental Health Court Act to create court intervention programs for defendants with mental illnesses while maintaining public safety, adaptable to chancery, circuit, county, youth, municipal and justice courts.

• Creates the State Mental Health Courts Advisory Committee to develop evaluation plans, monitor mental health court operations, and make recommendations regarding certification and eligibility criteria.

• Requires the Administrative Office of Courts to certify and monitor all mental health courts using minimum standards including evidence-based practices, risk and needs assessments, and ongoing data collection reporting to the Legislature and Governor.

• Sets eligibility criteria excluding participants with prior crimes of violence convictions within 10 years, current violent crime charges, or trafficking convictions; requires chemical testing at participant expense and allows record expungement upon successful program completion.

• Creates a Mental Health Court Fund from legislative appropriations, federal funds, and court assessments to provide supplemental funding to mental health courts statewide based on a formula set by the advisory committee.