PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 629, 1636 PRINTER'S NO. 2237
No. 584 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, RHOADES, GREENLEAF, KITCHEN, WAUGH,
RAFFERTY, STACK, COSTA, WASHINGTON AND ERICKSON,
MARCH 20, 2007
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, JUNE 24, 2008
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in organization and
3 jurisdiction of courts of common pleas, authorizing the
4 establishment of problem-solving courts. COURTS OF <--
5 SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
9 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10 § 916. Problem-solving courts COURTS OF SPECIALIZED <--
11 JURISDICTION.
12 (a) Establishment.--The court of common pleas of a judicial
13 district and the Municipal Court of Philadelphia may establish
14 one or more problem-solving courts as special dockets whereby <--
15 COURTS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION AS SPECIAL DOCKETS, <--
16 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DRUG COURTS, MENTAL HEALTH COURTS
17 AND DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE COURTS, WHEREBY defendants are
18 admitted to a court-supervised individualized treatment program.
19 The court may adopt local rules for the administration of
1 problem-solving courts COURTS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION and <--
2 their related treatment services. The local rules may not be
3 inconsistent with this section or any rules established by the
4 Supreme Court.
5 (b) Statewide problem-solving court COURTS OF SPECIALIZED <--
6 JURISDICTION coordinator.--The Supreme Court may appoint a
7 Statewide problem-solving court COURTS OF SPECIALIZED <--
8 JURISDICTION coordinator. The Statewide problem-solving court <--
9 coordinator may:
10 (1) Encourage and assist in the establishment of
11 problem-solving courts COURTS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION in <--
12 each judicial district.
13 (2) Identify sources of funding for problem-solving <--
14 courts COURTS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION and their related <--
15 treatment services, including the availability of grants.
16 (3) Provide coordination and technical assistance for
17 grant applications.
18 (4) Develop model guidelines for the administration of
19 problem-solving courts COURTS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION and <--
20 their related treatment services.
21 (5) Establish procedures for monitoring problem-solving
22 courts and their related treatment services and for
23 evaluating the effectiveness of problem-solving courts COURTS <--
24 OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION and their related treatment
25 services.
26 (c) Advisory committee.--The Supreme Court may establish an
27 interdisciplinary and interbranch advisory committee to advise
28 and assist the Statewide problem-solving court coordinator in <--
29 monitoring and administrating problem-solving courts COURTS OF <--
30 SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION Statewide.
20070S0584B2237 - 2 -
1 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
L18L42JS/20070S0584B2237 - 3 -