Senate Bill 286
By: Senator James of the 28th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Titles 15 and 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts and
penal institutions respectively, so as to provide for substance abuse programs and mental
health treatment programs in county and municipal jails for inmates and applicants to such
programs; to provide for drug court divisions and mental health court divisions to establish
procedures for voluntary admission into such programs; to provide for rules and regulations;
to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to courts, is amended by adding
new Code sections to Chapter 1, relating to general provisions, to read as follows:
<ins>"15-1-15.1.
(a) Drug court divisions shall create petitions and establish procedures for inmates and
applicants to voluntarily enter into substance abuse programs in county and municipal jails
created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52.
(b) Upon acceptance of such petition, a drug court division shall order the petitioner to
participate in the substance abuse program created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52. The
</ins>
<ins>successful completion of the program shall be determined pursuant to the criteria
established in Code Section 15-1-15."
"15-1-16.1.
(a) Mental health court divisions shall create petitions and establish procedures for inmates
and applicants to voluntarily enter into mental health treatment programs in county and
municipal jails created pursuant to Code Section 42-4-52.
(b) Upon acceptance of such petition, a mental health court division shall order the
petitioner to participate in the mental health treatment program created pursuant to Code
Section 42-4-52. The successful completion of the program shall be determined pursuant
to the criteria established in Code Section 15-1-16."
</ins> SECTION 2.
Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to penal institutions, is amended
by adding a new Code section to Article 3 of Chapter 4, relating to medical services for
inmates, to read as follows:
<ins>"42-4-52.
(a) County and municipal jails may establish substance abuse programs and mental health
treatment programs for inmates and applicants from drug court divisions and mental health
court divisions to voluntarily enter into such programs pursuant to the rules and regulations
of the Department of Corrections.
(b) The Department of Corrections shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to
establish substance abuse programs and mental health treatment programs in the county
and municipal jails that opt into such programs and shall establish minimum standards for
such programs."
</ins>
SECTION 3.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.