SB 910: Treatment court program standards.

Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that drug court programs be designed and operated in accordance with specified standards developed by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and Drug Court Standards Committee. Existing law further states the intent of the Legislature that key programs of the drug court programs include, among other things, integration by drug courts of alcohol and other drug treatment services.

This bill would instead require, for counties and courts that opt to have treatment court programs, that the treatment court programs be designed and operated in accordance with state and national guidelines incorporating the Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards and Family Treatment Court Best Practice Standards developed by All Rise, with consideration for the court system within which the program operates. The bill would revise the above-described statement of legislative intent regarding key components to be included in criminal adult treatment court programs, including requiring a system of incentives, sanctions, and service adjustments to achieve participant success. The bill would require the Judicial Council, no later than January 1, 2026, to revise the standards of judicial administration to reflect state and nationally recognized best practices and guidelines for collaborative programs including those described in these provisions.