1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to courts; establishing a Supreme Court task force to implement 
1.3 	statewide standards for mental health courts; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. SUPREME COURT TASK FORCE; MENTAL HEALTH COURTS.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The Supreme Court shall establish a task force to 
1.7 	develop and implement minimum statewide standards for mental health courts. The goal 
1.8 	of the mental health court is to increase public safety by assisting criminal offenders with 
1.9 	mental illnesses in becoming and remaining law-abiding through the facilitation of access 
1.10 	to mental health treatment and other support services.
1.11 		Subd. 2.Membership. The task force shall consist of the following members:
1.12 	(1) a representative from the Supreme Court;
1.13 	(2) two district court judges, one of whom is currently assigned to mental health 
1.14 	court;
1.15 	(3) a court administrator;
1.16 	(4) the attorney general or a designee;
1.17 	(5) a county attorney selected by the Minnesota County Attorneys Association;
1.18 	(6) a public defender selected by the Board of Public Defense;
1.19 	(7) a law enforcement representative;
1.20 	(8) the ombudsman for mental health and developmental disabilities;
1.21 	(9) a mental health advocate;
1.22 	(10) the commissioner of corrections or a designee;
1.23 	(11) the commissioner of public safety or a designee;
1.24 	(12) the commissioner of human services or a designee;
2.1 	(13) a representative from community corrections; and
2.2 	(14) any other persons designated by the Supreme Court.
2.3 		Subd. 3.Development and implementation of standards. The task force shall 
2.4 	examine current practices in existing mental health courts in the state and in other 
2.5 	jurisdictions and shall solicit input from the stakeholders experienced in mental health 
2.6 	issues. The task force shall develop and implement minimum statewide standards for 
2.7 	mental health courts, including:
2.8 	(1) intake procedures within the court and corrections system for screening and 
2.9 	assessing criminal offenders with mental illnesses;
2.10 	(2) participation standards and plea procedures;
2.11 	(3) case management services and service referrals;
2.12 	(4) treatment and monitoring components;
2.13 	(5) the use of public and private sources of funding for medication and treatment; and
2.14 	(6) any other standards identified by the task force as necessary to implement an 
2.15 	efficient and successful mental health court system.
2.16 		Subd. 4.Report. By January 1, 2010, the task force shall report to the chairs and 
2.17 	ranking members of the senate and house committees and divisions having jurisdiction 
2.18 	over criminal justice policy and funding on the development and implementation of 
2.19 	mental health court standards.
2.20 		Subd. 5.Appropriation. $....... in fiscal year 2009 is appropriated from the general 
2.21 	fund to the Supreme Court to support and expand mental health courts.

2.22 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2008.