HB1405: HB1405 Courts; cognitive behavioral therapy for certain children in restrictive custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice; provide

26 LC 56 0605 House Bill 1405 By: Representatives Hong of the 103rd, Rice of the 139th, Ballard of the 147th, Crowe of the 118th, and Holcomb of the 101st A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 6 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Co de of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to delinquency, so as to provide for cognitive behavioral therapy for certain children2 in restrictive custody with the Department of Juvenile Justice; to provide for criteria and3 evaluation for participation; to require DJJ to provide such se rvices; to provide for a4 minimum number of hours of provided therapy for such children; to require DJJ to annually5 produce a report on the provision of such services; to provide for contents and recipients of6 such report; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 SECTION 1.9 Article 6 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Geo rgia Annotated, relating to10 delinquency, is amended in Code Section 15-11-602, relating to disposition of class A or11 class B designated felony acts, by adding a new subsection to read as follows:12 "(i)(1) DJJ shall evaluate any child adjudicated for a class A designated felony act or13 class B designated felony act and placed in restrictive custody to determine whether such14 child exhibits behavior that indicates the child could benefit from cognitive behavioral15 therapy. For any such child, DJJ shall provide and such child shall attend cognitive16 H. B. 1405 - 1 - 26 LC 56 0605 behavioral therapy until he or she completes at least 200 hours of such therapy or until17 he or she is released from restrictive custody, whichever event occurs first.18 (2) DJJ shall, on or before July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, produce a report stating19 the number of children who received cognitive behavioral therap y pursuant to this20 subsection as well as the three-year recidivism rate for those children. Such report shall21 contain only anonymized data. Such report shall be provided to the Governor, the22 Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the director of the23 Criminal Justice Coordinating Council."24 SECTION 2.25 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.26 H. B. 1405 - 2 -