Bill Text: MS SB2787 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Statewide Intervention Court Taskforce; establish.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2024-03-05 - Died In Committee [SB2787 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2024-SB2787-Introduced.html

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MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2024 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division A

By: Senator(s) Hickman

Senate Bill 2787

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE "STATEWIDE INTERVENTION COURTS TASK FORCE" TO EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A STATEWIDE INTERVENTION COURT; TO PRESCRIBE THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE AND PROVIDE FOR ITS ORGANIZATION; TO PROVIDE FOR A REPORT BY THE TASK FORCE; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  (1)  There is hereby established the "Statewide Intervention Courts Task Force" to develop a recommendation to the Legislature and the Mississippi Supreme Court relative to revising Mississippi's general laws, Rules of Court or both to implement a statewide intervention court.

     (2)  The members of the Task Force shall be as follows:

          (a)  The Chairs of the Judiciary A Committees of the Mississippi Senate and the Mississippi House of Representatives;

          (b)  One (1) designee of the Mississippi Supreme Court to be named by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;

          (c)  One (1) designee of the Mississippi Court of Appeals to be named by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals;

          (d)  Two (2) sitting circuit court judges to be named by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;

          (e)  Two (2) practicing attorneys in the State of Mississippi with expertise in the area of intervention courts, one (1) from each of the federal judicial districts to be named by the Mississippi Bar Association;

          (f)  One (1) practicing attorney who is a general practitioner with expertise in the area of intervention courts and who practices in a firm with five (5) or fewer licensed attorneys to be named by the Mississippi Bar Association;

          (g)  One (1) attorney who is a prosecuting attorney to be named by the Mississippi Prosecutors Association;

          (h)  One (1) attorney who is a public defender to be named by the Office of State Public Defender;

          (i)  One (1) person sentenced and released from the jurisdiction of an intervention court to be named by the Mississippi Bar Association;

          (j)  One (1) designee of the Administrative Office of Courts to be named by the executive director of the office;

          (k)  One (1) professor of law with expertise in intervention courts to be named by the Dean of the University of Mississippi School of Law; and

          (l)  One (1) professor of law with expertise in intervention courts to be named by the Dean of the Mississippi College School of Law.

     (3)  The Task Force shall meet within forty-five (45) days of the effective date of this act, upon the call of the Governor, and  shall evaluate the implementation of a statewide intervention court.  Specifically the Task Force shall make recommendations based on a review of the following:

          (a)  The need for a statewide intervention court;

          (b)  The models of intervention courts used by the various states;

          (c)  The functioning of the current intervention courts in Mississippi;

          (d)  Standards for intervention court policies and procedures including the certification process;

          (e)  The number of individual intervention courts needed throughout a statewide intervention court;

          (f)  Procedures and policies needed to transfer the existing intervention courts into an established statewide intervention court;

          (g)  The appropriate funding mechanism for a statewide intervention court; and

          (h)  Any other matters related to the implementation of a statewide intervention court.

     (4)  The Task Force may request the assistance of the University of Mississippi School of Law and the Mississippi College School of Law, the Mississippi Judicial College, the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts, the Joint Legislative Budget Office, the PEER Committee and the proper section of the Mississippi Bar Association, or any other related organization with expertise in intervention courts.

     (5)  The members of the Task Force shall elect a Chair from among the members.  The Task Force shall develop and report its findings and recommendations for proposed legislation to the Legislature and proposed rule changes to the Mississippi Supreme Court on or before December 1, 2024.  A quorum of the membership shall be required to approve any final report and recommendation.  Members of the Task Force shall be reimbursed for necessary travel expense in the same manner as public employees are reimbursed for official duties from any available funds and members of the Legislature shall be reimbursed in the same manner as for attending out-of-session committee meetings.

     (6)  The Mississippi Bar Association and the Mississippi Judicial College shall provide necessary clerical support for the meetings of the Task Force and the preparation of the report.  Proposed legislation shall be prepared by the Legislative Services Offices of the Senate and House as requested.

     (7)  Upon presentation of its report the Task Force shall be dissolved.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2024.