Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law. Act of the Regular Session 0 State of Arkansas 0th General Assembly As Engrossed: S// H// A Bill Regular Session, SENATE BILL By: Senators J. Hutchinson, Bledsoe, E. Cheatham, A. Clark, Collins-Smith, J. Cooper, J. Dismang, Files, Flippo, Hester, B. Johnson, U. Lindsey, Maloch, B. Pierce, Rapert, Rice, G. Stubblefield, J. Woods, Elliott By: Representatives Shepherd, Gillam, Tucker, Baine, Bragg, Davis, Lemons, Lowery, Lundstrum, Richmond, Scott, B. Smith, Tosh, Vines, Bennett, G. McGill, Leding, V. Flowers, M.J. Gray, Nicks, Sabin, M. Hodges, D. Whitaker, Johnson For An Act To Be Entitled AN ACT TO BE KNOWN AS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACT OF ; TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND REDUCE THE PRISON POPULATION; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. Subtitle TO BE KNOWN AS THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM ACT OF ; TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES DESIGNED TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND REDUCE THE PRISON POPULATION; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: SECTION. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative intent. It is the intent of the General Assembly to implement wide-ranging reforms to the criminal justice system in order to address prison overcrowding, promote seamless reentry into society, reduce medical costs incurred by the state and local governments, aid law enforcement agencies in fighting crime and keeping the peace, and to enhance public safety. SECTION. DO NOT CODIFY. Temporary legislation. *BPG* 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 (a) The Department of Correction shall coordinate and, if advantageous, contract with counties, the federal government, governmental agencies of Arkansas and other states, counties, regional correctional facilities, political subdivisions of Arkansas, political subdivisions of other states, and private contractors to address the matter of this state's current prison overcrowding problem, as permitted by --0(b)(), in order to provide and improve correctional operations. (b) The department shall submit a report to the Governor, Legislative Council, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the House Committee on Judiciary by December,, on its efforts under and successful contracting with an entity under subsection (a) of this section. (c) This section expires on December,. SECTION. Arkansas Code --0(d)(), concerning what is considered a "felony involving violence" for the purposes of the habitual offender statute, is amended to read as follows: () As used in this subsection, felony involving violence means: (A) Any of the following felonies: (i) Murder in the first degree, -0-0; (ii) Murder in the second degree, -0-0; (iii) Kidnapping, --0; (iv) Aggravated robbery, --0; (v) Rape, --0; (vi) Battery in the first degree, --; (vii) Terroristic act, --0; (viii) Sexual assault in the first degree, -- ; (ix) Sexual assault in the second degree, -- ; (x) Domestic battering in the first degree, -- ; (xi) Residential burglary, --(a); (xi)(xii) Aggravated residential burglary, -- ; (xii)(xiii) Unlawful discharge of a firearm from a 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 vehicle, --0; (xiii)(xiv) Criminal use of prohibited weapons, - -0, involving an activity making it a Class B felony; or (xiv)(xv) A felony attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit: (a) Capital murder, -0-0; (b) Murder in the first degree, -0-0; (c) Murder in the second degree, -0-0; (d) Kidnapping, --0; (e) Aggravated robbery, --0; (f) Rape, --0; (g) Battery in the first degree, --; (h) Domestic battering in the first degree, --; or (i) Residential burglary, --(a); or (i)(j) Aggravated residential burglary, - -; or (B) A conviction of a comparable felony involving violence from another jurisdiction. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title 0, Chapter, is amended to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: Subchapter Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force 0--0. Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force. (a)() There is created the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force responsible for studying the performance and outcome measures related to this act. () The Bureau of Legislative Research shall provide staff support for the task force. (b) The task force shall be composed of no more than nineteen () members, as follows: () No more than eleven () members may be appointed by the Governor from the following persons: (A) One () or two () members who are circuit court 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 judges and who operate a specialty court program as defined under -0- (a); (B) No more than one () county sheriff; (C) No more than one () member from the Arkansas Public Defender Commission; (D) No more than () member who is a prosecuting attorney; (E) No more than () member who is a member of the executive board of the Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police; (F) No more than () members who are Medicaid providers; and (G) No more than three () at-large members in order to reflect the racial, ethnic, gender, and geographical diversity of the state; () One () member of the General Assembly to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; () One () member of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; () One () member who is the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; () One () member who is the Chair of the House Committee on Judiciary; () The Chair of the Board of Corrections, or his or her designee; () The Chair of the Parole Board, or his or her designee; () The Director of the Department of Correction, or his or her designee; and () The Director of the Department of Community Correction, or his or her designee. (c)() The task force shall meet on or before the thirtieth day after the effective date of this act, at the call of the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and organize itself by electing one () of its members as chair and such other officers as the task force may consider necessary. () Thereafter, the task force shall meet at least quarterly and at the call of the chair or by a majority of the members. () A quorum of the task force consists of seven () members. (d) The task force has the following powers and duties: () To track the implementation of and evaluate compliance with 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 this act; () To review performance and outcome measure reports submitted semiannually by the Department of Correction, Department of Community Correction, Parole Board, Arkansas Sentencing Commission, and Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee under this act and evaluate the impact; and ()(A) To prepare and submit an annual report of the performance and outcome measures that are part of this act to the Legislative Council, the Governor, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (B) The annual report shall include recommendations for improvements and a summary of savings generated from and the impact on public safety as the result of this act. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title 0, Chapter, is amended to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: Subchapter Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee 0--0. Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee. (a) There is created a Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee. (b) The Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall consist of the following members: () The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the Chief Justice s designee who shall serve as chair; () The Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts or the director s designee; () Three () circuit court judges who preside over a specialty court program as defined under -0-(a) to be appointed by the Arkansas Judicial Council; () One () district court judge who presides over a specialty court program as defined under -0-(a) to be appointed by the Arkansas District Judges Council; () One () circuit court judge who presides over a juvenile drug court program to be appointed by the Arkansas Judicial Council; () The Director of the Department of Community Correction or the director s designee; () The Director of the Department of Human Services or the 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 director s designee; () The Director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services or the director s designee; () A prosecutor appointed by the Prosecutor Coordinator; (0) A public defender appointed by the Executive Director of the Arkansas Public Defender Commission; () A member of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; () A member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and () The Arkansas Drug Director or the director s designee. (c) The chair or the chair s designee shall promptly call the first meeting within thirty () days after the effective date of this act. (d)() The Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall conduct its meetings at the State Capitol Building or at any place designated by the chair or the chair s designee. () Meetings shall be held at least one () time every three () months but may occur more often at the call of the chair. (e) If any vacancy occurs on the Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee, the vacancy shall be filled by the same process as the original appointment. (f) The Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall establish rules and procedures for conducting its business. (g) Members of the Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall serve without compensation. (h) A majority of the members of the Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall constitute a quorum for transacting any business of the Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee. (i) The Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee is established to: () Promote collaboration and provide recommendations on issues involving adult and juvenile specialty courts; and () Design and complete the comprehensive evaluation of adult and juvenile specialty court programs as required by -0-. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title 0, Chapter, is amended to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 Subchapter Behavioral Health Treatment Access Legislative Task Force 0--0. Behavioral Health Treatment Access Legislative Task Force (a)() There is created a Behavioral Health Treatment Access Legislative Task Force responsible for ensuring that persons in the criminal justice system who have a demonstrated need for behavioral health treatment have access to treatment. () The Bureau of Legislative Research shall provide staff support for the task force. (b) The task force is composed of no more than nine () members, as follows: () No more than four () members may be appointed by the Governor from the following persons: (A) No more than one () member who is engaged in providing substance abuse treatment in the private sector; (B) No more than one () member who is engaged in providing mental health treatment in the private sector; and (C) No more than two () members of the general public who advocate for access to behavioral health services; () The Director of the Department of Community Corrections or his or her designee; () The Deputy Chief Counsel of the General Counsel Section for the Department of Human Services or his or her designee; () The Insurance Commissioner of the State Insurance Department or his or her designee; () One () member of the General Assembly to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and () One () member of the General Assembly to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (c)() The task force shall meet on or before the thirtieth day after the effective date of this act, at the call of the member of the General Assembly appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and organize itself by electing such other officers as the task force may consider necessary. () Thereafter, the task force is to meet at least quarterly and 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 as often as necessary and at the call of the chair or a majority of the members. () A quorum of the task force consists of five () members. (d) The task force has the following powers and duties: () To facilitate access to behavioral health treatment programs; () To coordinate with other public and private entities to develop and promote access; () To take steps to reduce costs and encourage evidence-based care; () To assess feasibility and make recommendation for changes to state programs to improve access; and () To prepare and submit an annual report by December of each year to the Governor and the Legislative Council. SECTION. Arkansas Code --(e), concerning records kept by the Department of Correction, is amended to read as follows: (e)() The director shall make and preserve a full and complete record of each and every person inmate committed to the Department of Correction, along with a photograph of the person inmate and data pertaining to his or her trial conviction and past history. ()(A) To protect the integrity of those records described in subdivision (e)() of this section and to ensure their proper use, it shall be is unlawful to permit inspection of or disclose information contained in those records described in subdivision (e)() of this section or to copy or issue a copy of all or part of any record a record described in subdivision (e)() of this section except as authorized by administrative regulation rule, or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. (B) The regulations A rule under subdivision (e)()(a) of this section shall provide for adequate standards of security and confidentiality of those records described in subdivision (e)() of this section. () For those inmates committed to the Department of Correction and judicially transferred to the Department of Community Correction, the preparation of this record a record described in subdivision (e)() of this section may be delegated to the Department of Community Correction pursuant 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 to policies applicable to records transmission adopted by the Board of Corrections. () Administrative regulations A rule under subdivision (e)()(a) of this section may authorize the disclosure of information contained in such records a record described in subdivision (e)() of this section for research purposes. ()(A)(i) Upon written request, an employee of the Bureau of Legislative Research acting on behalf of a member of the General Assembly may view all records described in subdivision (e)() of this section of a current or former inmate. (ii) A request under subdivision (e)()(a)(i) of this section shall be made in good faith. (B) A view of records under subdivision (e)() of this section by an employee may be performed only if the employee is assigned to one () or more of the following committees: (i) Senate Committee on Judiciary; (ii) House Committee on Judiciary; or (iii) Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions Subcommittee of the Legislative Council. (C) The Department of Correction shall ensure that the employee authorized under subdivision (e)()(b) of this section to view records is provided access to the records. (D) A record requested to be viewed under subdivision (e)() of this section is privileged and confidential and shall not be shown to any person not authorized to have access to the record under this section and shall not be used for any political purpose, including without limitation political advertising, fundraising, or campaigning. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, is amended to add a new section to read as follows: --. Department of Community Correction Receipt of grant money for certain purposes. (a) The Department of Community Correction may receive money from any source to be deposited into the Accountability Court Fund to be used for adult and juvenile specialty court programs as defined under -0-, based upon a formula to be developed by the Arkansas Judicial Council, 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 reviewed by the Specialty Courts Advisory Committee, and approved by the Legislative Council (b) The department may promulgate rules to implement this section. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, is amended to add an additional subchapter to read as follows: Subchapter Pay-for-Success Act --. Title. This subchapter shall be known as the Pay-for-Success Act. --. Legislative findings and intent. (a) The General Assembly finds that: () Incarceration and reincarceration are costly for the government and for taxpayers; () Certain intervention measures have been found to reduce reincarceration rates; () Pay-for-success contracts can serve as an effective tool for addressing certain issues concerning Arkansas correctional facilities, including overcrowding, by enabling the state to finance programs aimed at reducing recidivism rates; and () It is in the best interests of Arkansas residents to encourage and enable the Department of Community Correction to obtain financing for certain intervention services to reduce the recidivism rate in Arkansas correctional facilities. (b) The General Assembly intends for this subchapter to enable the department to obtain private financing for intervention services on a payfor-success basis to reduce the reincarceration rate in Arkansas correctional facilities. --. Definitions. As used in this subchapter: () Incarcerated means the condition of being committed to a state correctional facility; and () Pay-for-success program means a program in which the Department of Community Correction pays for intervention services only if 0 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 certain performance targets are met, including without limitation a reduction in the reincarceration rate in Arkansas correctional facilities through intervention measures that focus on improving personal responsibility and decision making. --. Pay-for-success programs. (a) The Department of Community Correction may enter into an agreement with entities, including without limitation licensed or accredited, as applicable, community-based providers specializing in behavioral health, case management, and job placement services, and two-year or four-year public universities to create a pay-for-success program for incarcerated individuals or individuals on parole or probation that requires the department to pay for the intervention services only if the performance targets stated in the agreement are achieved. (b) Before entering into an agreement under subsection (a) of this section, the department shall: () Calculate the amount and timing of the payments that would be earned by the entity providing the intervention services during each year of the agreement if the performance targets are achieved; and () Make a written determination that the agreement will result in specific performance improvements and budgetary savings if the performance targets are achieved. (c) An agreement entered into under subsection (a) of this section: () Shall include the following: (A) A requirement that payment be conditioned on the achievement of specific outcomes based on defined performance targets; and (B) An agreement with an independent third party to evaluate the pay-for-success program to determine whether the performance targets have been achieved; () May contain a graduated payment schedule to allow for varying payments based on different levels of performance targets; and () May include without limitation an agreement with one () or more private entities regarding the following: (A) One () or more loans to fund the pay-for-success program s delivery and operations; (B) One () or more guarantees for loans obtained under 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 this section; (C) Payment based on reduced rates of reincarceration or other agreed-upon measures of success; and (D) Oversight and implementation of the pay-for-success program, including without limitation the following: (i) Making necessary financial arrangements; (ii) Training staff; (iii) Selecting service providers; (iv) Overseeing the intervention measures; (v) Monitoring pay-for-success program participation; and (vi) Designation of one () entity to serve as a liaison among all parties to the agreement. SECTION 0. Arkansas Code -- is amended to read as follows: --. Discharge or release. (a) Inmates released upon completion of their term or released on parole shall be supplied with satisfactory clothing and a travel subsidy as prescribed by the Board of Corrections. (b) Upon release of any inmate from any unit or center of the Department of Correction, the department shall provide transportation for the inmate to the closest commercial transportation pick-up point. (a) At least one hundred twenty () days before an inmate s anticipated release date, the Department of Correction, in collaboration with the inmate and the Department of Community Correction and the Parole Board, shall complete a prerelease assessment and reentry plan, which may include a travel subsidy and transportation to the closest commercial transportation pick-up point. (b) A copy of the reentry plan under this section shall be provided to the inmate and the assigned parole officer, if applicable. (c) An inmate released upon completion of his or her terms of incarceration shall be provided: () Written and certified proof that he or she completed and satisfied all the terms of his or her incarceration; and () Information on how to reinstate his or her voting rights upon discharge of his or her sentence. 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 SECTION. Arkansas Code --0(e), concerning the application for Medicaid benefits on behalf of an inmate in the Department of Correction or person in the custody of the Department of Community Correction, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: ()(A) The Department of Human Services shall allow applications for Medicaid coverage and benefits to be submitted up to forty-five () days before the release of: (i) An inmate or offender not previously qualified or previously qualified and subsequently suspended; or (ii) An inmate or offender, eighteen () years of age or older, adjudicated as delinquent and not previously qualified or previously qualified and subsequently suspended. (B) To the extent feasible, the Department of Correction and Department of Community Correction shall provide for Medicaid coverage applications to be submitted online to the Department of Human Services. (C) A sentencing order shall satisfy the identity verification for Medicaid applications, if required for an application, and if permitted by federal law. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: --0. Medicaid suspension. (a) When an individual who is enrolled in a Medicaid program or the Health Care Independence Program is incarcerated to the custody of the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or detained in a county jail, city jail, juvenile detention facility, or other Division of Youth Services commitment, the Department of Human Services shall suspend, to the degree feasible, the individual's coverage during the period of incarceration for up to twelve () months from the initial approval or renewal, unless prohibited by law. (b) When an individual with suspended Medicaid eligibility receives eligible medical treatment or is released from custody, the Department of Human Services shall reinstate, to the degree feasible, the individual's coverage for up to twelve () months from the initial approval or renewal, unless prohibited by law. 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 (c) The Department of Human Services shall ensure that the suspension and reinstatement process is automated and that protocols are developed to maximize Medicaid reimbursement for allowable medical services and essential health benefits. SECTION. Arkansas Code --0, concerning the Medicaid eligibility of an inmate in a local correctional facility, is amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows: (e) To the extent feasible, the Department of Human Services shall allow an online application for Medicaid coverage and benefits to be submitted up to forty-five () days prior to the release of an inmate or offender who is in the custody of the Department of Corrections or Department of Community Corrections and who was not previously qualified or previously qualified and subsequently suspended. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add a new section to read as follows: --0. Medical services billing to a local correctional facility. (a) As used in this section: () "Healthcare professional" means an individual or entity that is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this state to administer health care in the ordinary course of the practice of his or her profession or as a function of an entity's administration of the practice of medicine; () "Local correctional facility" means a county jail, a city jail, regional jail, criminal justice center, or county house of correction that is not operated by the Department of Correction, Department of Community Correction, or a federal correctional agency; and () "Medicaid reimbursement rate" means the prevailing cost paid by the Arkansas Medicaid Program for a particular medical service or treatment established by the Division of Medical Services of the Department of Human Services in the Arkansas Medicaid Program fee schedules for a particular medical service, treatment, or medical code. (b) A healthcare professional that provides medical service or treatment to a local correctional facility under this chapter for the benefit of an inmate housed in a local correctional facility for which the local 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 correctional facility is responsible for payment shall not charge the local correctional facility more than the Medicaid reimbursement rate for the same or similar medical service or treatment. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter 0, Subchapter, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: -0-. Specialty court program evaluation and approval. (a) As used in this section, "specialty court program" means one of the following: () A pre-adjudication program under --0; () A approved drug court program under -- et seq.; () A Swift and Certain Accountability on Probation Pilot Program under --0 et seq.; and () Any other specialty court program that has been approved by the Supreme Court, including without limitation specialty court programs known as: (A) A DWI court; (B) A mental health court; (C) A veteran's court; (D) A juvenile drug court; (E) A "HOPE" court; (F) A "smarter sentencing" court; and (G) A mental health crisis intervention center. (b) A specialty court program operated by a circuit court or district court must be approved by the Supreme Court in the administrative plan submitted under Supreme Court Administrative Order No.. (c)() The Specialty Courts Advisory Committee shall evaluate and make findings with respect to all specialty court programs operated by a circuit court or district court in this state and refer the findings to the Supreme Court. () An evaluation under this section shall reflect nationally recognized and peer-reviewed standards for each particular type of specialty court program. () The Specialty Court Program Advisory Committee shall also: (A) Establish, implement, and operate a uniform specialty court program evaluation process to ensure specialty court program resources 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 are uniformly directed to high-risk and medium-risk offenders and that specialty court programs provide effective and proven practices that reduce recidivism, as well as other factors such as substance dependency, among participants; (B) Establish an evaluation process that ensures that any new and existing specialty court program that is a drug court meets standards for drug court operation under --(b); and (C) Promulgate rules to be approved by the Supreme Court to carry out the evaluation process under this section. (d) A specialty court program shall be evaluated under the following schedule: () A specialty court program established on or after the effective date of this act shall be evaluated after its second year of funded operation; () A specialty court program in existence on the effective date of this act shall be evaluated under the requirements of this section prior to expending resources budgeted for fiscal year ; and () A specialty court program shall be reevaluated every two () years after the initial evaluation. SECTION. Arkansas Code -0-(a)(), concerning court costs for possessing less than four ounces ( oz.) of a Schedule VI controlled substance, is repealed. ()(A) In circuit court or district court, three hundred dollars ($0) for possessing less than four ounces ( oz.) of a Schedule VI controlled substance. (B) One hundred fifty dollars ($0) of the court costs collected under subdivision (a)() of this section shall be remitted to the Treasurer of State by the court clerk for deposit into the Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Fund for the Division of Behavioral Health Services to be used exclusively for drug courts or other substance abuse and prevention activities; and SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter 0, Subchapter, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: -0-0. Additional fees for specialty court programs. 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 (a) As used in this section: () Pre-adjudication means the period of time after: (A) The prosecuting attorney files a criminal information or an indictment is filed in circuit court; (B) The person named in the criminal information or indictment is arraigned on the charge in circuit court; and (C) The person enters a specialty court program without a guilty plea or the person enters a plea of guilty but before the circuit court enters a judgment and pronounces a sentence against the person; and () "Specialty court program" means: (A) A preadjudication program under --0; (B) An approved drug court program under -- et seq.; (C) A Swift and Certain Accountability on Probation Pilot Program under --0 et seq.; and (D) Any other specialty court program that has been approved by the Supreme Court, including without limitation specialty court programs known as: (i) A DWI court; (ii) A mental health court; (iii) A veteran's court; (iv) A juvenile drug court; (v) A "HOPE" court; (vi) A "smarter sentencing" court; and (vii) A mental health crisis intervention center. (b) In addition to any other court cost or court fee provided by law: () A specialty court program user fee of up to two hundred fifty dollars ($0) shall be assessed on any participant in a specialty court program and remitted to the Administration of Justice Funds Section of the Department of Finance and Administration by the court clerk for deposit into the State Treasury as special revenues credited to the Specialty Court Program Fund; and () A specialty court program public defender user fee not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($0) may be assessed by the court for a defendant who participates in a specialty court program designed for preadjudication purposes and who is appointed representation by a public 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 defender and remitted to the Administration of Justice Funds Section of the Department of Finance and Administration by the court clerk for deposit into the State Treasury to the credit of the Public Defender User Fee Fund within the State Central Services Fund. (c) A district court or circuit court may not assess and collect a fee under this section if the district court or circuit court is operating a specialty court program that has not been previously approved by or no longer meets the approval criteria of the Supreme Court. SECTION. Arkansas Code --0, concerning definitions, is amended to add an additional subdivision to read as follows: () "Detriment to the community" means a person who has: (A) Demonstrated a pattern of behavior that indicates disregard for the safety and welfare of others; (B) Exhibited violence or repeated violent tendencies; (C) Has been convicted of a felony involving violence, as defined under --0(d)(); or (D) During the three () calendar years before the person's parole hearing: (i) Demonstrated a documented lack of respect for authority towards law enforcement or prison officials while in the custody of the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or a law enforcement agency; or (ii) Accrued multiple disciplinary violations while in the custody of the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or a law enforcement agency, including at least one () disciplinary violation involving violence or sexual assault while in the custody of the Department of Correction, the Department of Community Correction, or a law enforcement agency. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: --0. Warrantless search by any law enforcement officer for a probationer or parolee. (a)() A person who is placed on supervised probation or is released on parole under this chapter is required to agree to a waiver as a condition 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 of his or her supervised probation or parole that allows any certified law enforcement officer or Department of Community Correction officer to conduct a warrantless search of his or her person, place of residence, or motor vehicle at any time, day or night, whenever requested by the certified law enforcement officer or Department of Community Correction officer. () A warrantless search that is based on a waiver required by this section shall be conducted in a reasonable manner but does not need to be based on an articulable suspicion that the person is committing or has committed a criminal offense. (b)() A person who will be placed on supervised probation or parole and is required to agree to the waiver required by this section shall acknowledge and sign the waiver. () If the person fails to acknowledge and sign the waiver required by this section, he or she is ineligible to be placed on supervised probation or parole. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add an additional section to read as follows: --0. Medicaid eligibility of a parolee or a probationer. (a) The Department of Correction shall screen inmates nearing release from incarceration and the Department of Community Correction shall screen parolees and probationers under supervision for Medicaid eligibility. (b) If an inmate nearing release from incarceration, parolee, or probationer receives medical services, including substance abuse and mental health treatment, that meet criteria for Medicaid coverage, the parole officer, probation officer, or Department of Correction offical or Department of Community Correction official may apply for Medicaid coverage for the inmate nearing release from incarceration, parolee, or probationer under this section. (c)() The inmate nearing release from incarceration, parolee, or probationer may designate an authorized representative for the purposes of filing a Medicaid application and complying with Medicaid requirements for determining and maintaining eligibility. () However, the parole officer, probation officer, or Department of Correction official or Department of Community Correction official shall be the authorized representative for purposes of establishing 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 and maintaining Medicaid eligibility under this subsection if: (A) The inmate nearing release from incarceration, parolee, or probationer does not designate an authorized representative within three () business days after request; or (B) The authorized representative designated under subdivision (c)() of this section does not file a Medicaid application within three () business days after appointment and request. (d) An authorized representative under this section: () Shall have access to the information necessary to comply with Medicaid requirements; and () May provide and receive information in connection with establishing and maintaining Medicaid eligibility, including confidential information. (e)() The parole officer, probation officer, or Department of Correction official or Department of Community Correction official or the designee of the parole officer, probation officer, or Department of Correction official or Department of Community Correction official may access information necessary to determine if a Medicaid application has been filed on behalf of the inmate nearing release from incarceration, parolee, or probationer. () Access under subdivision (e)() of this section shall be to: (A) Establish Medicaid eligibility; (B) Provide healthcare services; or (C) Pay for healthcare services. (f) As used in this section, "Medicaid eligibility" means eligibility for any healthcare coverage offered by the Department of Human Services. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add additional sections to read as follows: --0. Mental health and substance abuse treatment. A parolee or probationer who is enrolled in a Medicaid program shall be referred to mental health or substance abuse treatment, or both, when the referral is included as part of a court order, supervision plan, or treatment plan. --0. Medicaid reimbursement for essential healthcare services. 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the Department of Human Services shall cooperate with the Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction to establish protocols for utilizing Medicaid to reimburse the Department of Correction, Department of Community Correction, Division of Behavioral Health Services, Division of Youth Services, a healthcare provider, or a third party for essential healthcare services, including mental health and substance abuse treatment. --0. Contracting with Medicaid provider. The Department of Correction and the Department of Community Correction each may contract with a provider in order to facilitate the enrollment of an inmate, a probationer, or a parolee in Medicaid. SECTION. Arkansas Code -- is amended to read as follows: --. Creation Members Qualifications and training. (a)() There is created the Parole Board, to be composed of seven () members to be appointed from the state at large by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. ()(A)(i) Seven () members A member of the board shall be a full-time officials official of this state, one () of whom shall be designated by the Governor as the chair of the board and shall not have any other employment for the duration of his or her appointment to the board. (ii)(a) A member of the board who is currently serving as of the effective date of this act shall terminate any other employment that has not been approved as required by subdivision (a)()(a)(ii)(b) of this section. (b) A member may engage in employment that has a limited time commitment with approval from the Chair of the Parole Board. (B)(i) The Governor shall appoint one () member as the chair who shall be the chief executive, administrative, budgetary, and fiscal officer of the board and the chair shall serve at the will of the Governor. (ii) The chair shall have general supervisory duties over the members and staff of the board but may not remove a member of the board except as provided under subsection (e) of this section. (iii) The board may review and approve budget and personnel requests prior to submission for executive and legislative 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 approval. (C) The board shall elect from its membership a vice chair and a secretary who shall assume, in that order and with the consent of the Governor, the duties of the chair in the case of extended absence, vacancy, or other similar disability of the chair until the Governor designates a new chair of the board. () Each member shall serve a seven-year term, except that the terms shall be staggered by the Governor so that the term of one () member expires each year. ()(A) A member must shall have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, and the member should have no less than five () years' professional experience in one () or more of the following fields: (i) Parole supervision; (ii) Probation supervision; (iii) Corrections; (iv) Criminal justice; (v) Law; (vi) Law enforcement; (vii) Psychology; (viii) Psychiatry; (ix) Sociology; (x) Social work; or (b) If any vacancy occurs on the board prior to the expiration of a term, the Governor shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the unexpired term, subject to confirmation by the Senate at its next regular session. (c) The members of the board may receive expense reimbursement and stipends in accordance with --0 et seq. (d)() Four () members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of holding an official meeting. () However, the affirmative vote of at least five () of the members of the board is required for any action by the board. (e)() A member of the board may be removed by the Governor after the Governor has received notification from the chair that the member: (A) Has been derelict in his or her duties as a member of the board; or 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 (B) No longer meets the eligibility requirements to serve as a member of the board. () The member of the board who has been reported to the Governor under subdivision (e)() of this section shall receive written notice of the notification by the chair to the Governor and the member of the board shall be allowed an opportunity to respond within seven () days. SECTION. Arkansas Code --, concerning records and reports of the Parole Board, is amended to add an additional subsection to read as follows: (e)()(a) Upon written request, a member of the General Assembly or an employee of the House of Representatives, Senate, or the Bureau of Legislative Research acting on the member's behalf may view all classification, disciplinary, demographic, and parole hearing records of a current or former inmate or parolee who is currently or was formerly granted parole by the board. (B) A request made on behalf of a member of the General Assembly shall be made in good faith. () A view of records under subdivision (e)() of this section by an employee may be performed only if the employee is assigned to one () or more of the following committees: (A) Senate Committee on Judiciary; (B) House Committee on Judiciary; or (C) Charitable, Penal and Correctional Institutions Subcommittee of the Legislative Council. () The board shall ensure that the employee authorized under subdivision (e)() of this section to view records is provided access to the records. () A record requested to be viewed under subdivision (e)() of this section is privileged and confidential and shall not be shown to any person not authorized to have access to the record under this section and shall not be used for any political purpose, including without limitation political advertising, fundraising, or campaigning. SECTION. Arkansas Code --(e), concerning parole eligibility procedures for offenses that occurred after January,, is 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 amended to read as follows: (e) For an offender serving a sentence for a felony committed on or after January,, -- governs that person's parole eligibility, unless otherwise noted and except: () If the felony is murder in the first degree, -0-0, kidnapping, if a Class Y felony, --0(b)(), aggravated robbery, - -0, rape, --0, or causing a catastrophe, --(a), and the offense occurred after July,, -- governs that person's parole eligibility; or () If the felony is manufacturing methamphetamine, -- (a) or the former --0, or possession of drug paraphernalia with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, the former --0(c)(), and the offense occurred after April,, -- governs that person's parole eligibility; or () If the felony is battery in the second degree, --, aggravated assault, --, terroristic threatening, --, domestic battering in the second degree, --, or residential burglary, --, and the offense occurred on or after the effective date of this act, -- governs that person's parole eligibility. SECTION. Arkansas Code --(a)(), concerning inmate interviews by the Parole Board, is amended to read as follows: () Inmate interviews and related deliberations may be closed to the public. SECTION. Arkansas Code Title, Chapter, Subchapter, is amended to add a new section to read as follows: --. Parole eligibility procedures Certain offenses committed on or after the effective date of this act. (a) An inmate sentenced for one () of the following felonies on or after the effective date of this act is eligible for discretionary transfer to the Department of Community Correction by the Parole Board after having served one-third (/) or one-half (/) of his or her sentence, with credit for meritorious good time, depending on the seriousness determination made by the Arkansas Sentencing Commission, or one-half (/) of the time to which his or her sentence is commuted: 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 () Battery in the second degree, --; () Aggravated assault, --; () Terroristic threatening, --; () Domestic battering in the second degree, --; or () Residential burglary, --. (b) The transfer of an inmate convicted of an offense listed in this section is not automatic. (c) All other provisions governing the procedures regarding the granting and administration of parole for persons convicted of an offense listed under subsection (a) of this section shall be governed by -- --. SECTION. Arkansas Code --0 is amended to read as follows: --0. Parole alternative Home detention. (a) As used in this section: () Approved electronic monitoring or supervising device means an electronic device approved by the Board of Corrections that meets the minimum Federal Communications Commission regulations and requirements, and that utilizes available technology that is able to track a person s location and monitor his or her location; () "Hospice" means an autonomous, centrally administered, medically directed, coordinated program providing a continuum of home, outpatient, and homelike inpatient care for the terminally ill patient and the patient s family, and which employs an interdisciplinary team to assist in providing palliative and supportive care to meet the special needs arising out of the physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic stresses that are experienced during the final stages of illness and during dying and bereavement; ()() Permanently incapacitated means an inmate who, as determined by a licensed physician: (A) Has a medical condition that is not necessarily terminal but renders him or her permanently and irreversibly incapacitated; and (B) Requires immediate and long-term care; and ()() Terminally ill means an inmate who, as determined by a licensed physician: 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 (A) Has an incurable condition caused by illness or disease; and (B) Will likely die within two () years due to the illness or disease. (b)()(a) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (b)() of this section, a defendant convicted of a felony or misdemeanor and sentenced to imprisonment may be incarcerated in a home detention program when the Director of the Department of Correction or the Director of the Department of Community Correction shall communicate communicates to the Parole Board when, in the independent opinions of either a Department of Correction physician or Department of Community Correction physician and a consultant physician in Arkansas, an inmate is either terminally ill, or permanently incapacitated, or would be suitable for hospice care and should be considered for transfer to parole supervision. (B) The Director of the Department of Correction or the Director of the Department of Community Correction shall make the facts described in subdivision (b)()(a) of this section known to the Parole Board for consideration of early release to home detention. () The Board of Corrections shall promulgate rules that will establish policy and procedures for incarceration in a home detention program. (c)() In all instances where in which the Department of Correction may release any inmate to community supervision, in addition to all other conditions that may be imposed by the Department of Correction, the Department of Correction may require the criminal defendant to participate in a home detention program. ()(A) The term of the home detention shall not exceed the maximum number of years of imprisonment or supervision to which the inmate could be sentenced. (B) The length of time the defendant participates in a home detention program and any good-time credit awarded shall be credited against the defendant s sentence. (d)() The Board of Corrections shall establish policy and procedures for participation in a home detention program, including, but not limited to, program criteria, terms, and conditions of release. () An inmate who is not serving a sentence of life without 0-- :: BPG
As Engrossed: S// H// SB 0 parole who is released on parole under this section because he or she is terminally ill, permanently incapacitated, or would be suitable for hospice care may be released to the care of his or her family or to a friend or a facility, subject to board approval. (e) If the medical condition of a inmate who is released under this section because he or she is terminally ill, permanently incapacitated, or would be suitable for hospice care changes to the point that the inmate is no longer terminally ill, permanently incapacitated, or would be suitable for hospice care, the inmate shall be returned to the custody of the Department of Correction and shall be required to be reconsidered for parole. SECTION. Arkansas Code --(b)()(a), concerning the requirement for electronic monitoring on parole, is amended to read as follows: (b)()(a) Subject to the provisions of subdivision (b)() of this section, an inmate serving a sentence in the Department of Correction may be released from incarceration if the: (i) Sentence was not the result of a jury or bench verdict; (ii) Inmate has served one hundred twenty () days of his or her sentence; (iii) Inmate has an approved parole plan; (iv) Inmate does not have a prior felony conviction for a sex offense or for a felony offense that involved the use or threat of violence or bodily harm; (iv)(v) Inmate was sentenced from a cell in the sentencing guidelines that does not include incarceration in the presumptive range with: (a) An incarceration range of thirty-six () months or less; or (b) A presumptive sentence of probation; (v)(vi) Conviction is for a Class C or Class D felony; (vi)(vii) Conviction is not for a crime of violence, regardless of felony level; (vii)(viii) Conviction is not a sex offense, 0-- :: BPG