House Bill 170 Summary

• Creates authority for chancery and county courts to establish domestic abuse courts, with municipal and justice courts authorized to participate in county programs.

• Defines domestic abuse courts as focused on victim safety and offender accountability through coordinated judicial monitoring, victim/defendant referrals to services, and centralized compliance monitoring.

• Requires the Administrative Office of Courts to develop uniform operational standards including establishment procedures, funding, eligibility criteria, referral protocols, and court roles in assessment and case management.

• Creates a Domestic Abuse Court Special Fund in the State Treasury for supplemental funding from legislative appropriations, grants, federal funds, and other sources.

• Imposes $1.00 assessments on misdemeanor and felony convictions and traffic violations to fund domestic abuse courts, collected through court fines and deposited to the special fund.