HB0049

Failed

Treatment courts-amendments.

Expand treatment courts to include mental health services and allow public defenders to participate as team members.

Full legal title

AN ACT relating to courts; amending the Court Supervised Treatment Program Act to include mental health treatment; authorizing court supervised treatment programs to accept participants from any other jurisdiction in this state; amending the Public Defender Act to allow the public defender to participate as a team member in court supervised treatment programs and represent participants in those programs; changing the term "substance abuse" to "substance use"; amending definitions; creating definitions; making conforming amendments; authorizing rulemaking; repealing provisions; and providing for an effective date.

Sponsor:

View on wyoleg.gov Introduced Text (PDF)Digest (PDF)Fiscal Note (PDF)

What does this bill do?

Amends the Court Supervised Treatment Program Act to include mental health treatment, expand participant eligibility and program jurisdiction, allow public defenders to participate in treatment programs, and replace terminology of 'substance abuse' with 'substance use disorder' throughout related statutes.

Expands the definition of 'participant' to include persons with mental illness or dual diagnosis in addition to substance offenders, and defines new terms including 'mental health treatment,' 'mental illness,' and 'substance use disorder.' (W.S. 5-12-104(a)(ii), (iii), (v)-(viii), (xii), (xv)-(xvii), Sec. 1)
Updates program purposes and goals to include mental health treatment and reducing the number of people with mental illness in jail and court proceedings. (W.S. 5-12-105(a), (b)(iii), (iv))
Authorizes court supervised treatment programs to accept participants from any other jurisdiction within the state. (W.S. 5-12-109(e), Sec. 1)
Allows the public defender to serve on court supervised treatment program teams and represent participants in program proceedings, including sanction and expulsion proceedings. (W.S. 7-6-104(e), Sec. 1)
Replaces terminology 'substance abuse' with 'substance use disorder' throughout multiple statutes including definitions, assessment requirements, and treatment provisions. (W.S. 5-12-104(a)(iii), (v), (xv)-(xvii), W.S. 7-13-1301(a)(v), W.S. 7-13-1302, W.S. 31-5-233(e), W.S. 31-5-234(e), W.S. 35-7-1033(b), Sec. 1)
Updates participant information requirements to include mental illness history with medical records and prior treatment. (W.S. 5-12-115(a)(iii), (v), (vii), Sec. 1)
Modifies juvenile court statutes to authorize substance abuse use disorder assessments for parents and guardians in dependency and neglect cases. (W.S. 14-6-219(a), W.S. 14-6-402(a)(xxii), W.S. 14-6-419(a), Sec. 1)
Clarifies that consent to participation in treatment programs is required only from the referring judge and participant, and that programs are not obligated to accept proposed participants. (W.S. 5-12-109(c), (d), Sec. 1)

Actions (6)

3/3/2025(House)

H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4

2/10/2025(House)

H No report prior to CoW Cutoff

1/15/2025(House)

H01 - Judiciary:Do Pass Failed 4-5-0-0-0

1/14/2025(House)

H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary

1/2/2025(House)