PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1425
PRINTER'S NO. 1481
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
976
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY REGAN, MASTRIANO, ARGALL, BAKER, BARTOLOTTA,
BREWSTER, BROWNE, COSTA, DINNIMAN, KILLION, MARTIN, MENSCH,
PHILLIPS-HILL, STEFANO, J. WARD, K. WARD, YUDICHAK AND
AUMENT, DECEMBER 12, 2019
SENATOR BAKER, JUDICIARY, AS AMENDED, JANUARY 29, 2020
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in organization and
jurisdiction of courts of common pleas, further providing for
problem-solving courts.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 916(a) of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by
adding subsections to read:
ยง 916. Problem-solving courts.
(a) Establishment.--The court of common pleas of a judicial
district and the Municipal Court of Philadelphia may establish,
from available funds, one or more problem-solving courts which
have specialized jurisdiction, including, but not limited to,
veterans courts, drug courts, mental health courts and driving
under the influence courts, whereby defendants are admitted to a
court-supervised individualized treatment program. The court may
adopt local rules for the administration of problem-solving
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courts and their related treatment services. The local rules may
not be inconsistent with this section or any rules established
by the Supreme Court.
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(d) Veterans courts.--
(1) If a court of common pleas OF A JUDICIAL DISTRICT or
the Municipal Court of Philadelphia has established a
veterans court under subsection (a), the court may provide
for participation by defendants from adjacent counties
ANOTHER COUNTY OR COUNTIES .
(2) A court of common pleas OF A JUDICIAL DISTRICT or
the Municipal Court of Philadelphia may join with courts in
adjacent counties THE COURT IN ANOTHER COUNTY OR COUNTIES to
establish a multicounty veterans court.
(e) Veterans track.--If a court of common pleas OF A
JUDICIAL DISTRICT or the Municipal Court of Philadelphia
established a problem-solving court under subsection (a), except
for a veterans court, the court may establish a veterans track
within the problem-solving court. As used in this subsection,
the term "veterans track" means a program that utilizes some
components of a veterans court, including, but not limited to,
treatment resources and veteran mentors and does not have the
population and judicial resources to sustain o f a full veterans
court.
(f) Local rules.--A court of common pleas OF A JUDICIAL
DISTRICT or the Municipal Court of Philadelphia that established
a veterans court, multicounty veterans court or veterans track
under this section may adopt local rules for the administration
of the courts and their related treatment services. The local
rules may not be inconsistent with this section or any rules
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established by the Supreme Court.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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