Official Summary Text
HB2960 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet
Assigned to
MABS
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COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2960
veterans' court fund; grant program
Purpose
Establishes the Veterans' Specialty Court Grant Program (Grant Program)
and the Veterans� Treatment Court Fund (Fund) to provide grants to
municipalities and counties to create or expand and enhance existing veterans�
court programs, outlines procedures to identify and assist incarcerated
veterans and prescribes related administrative and reporting requirements.
Background
����������� The presiding judge of the superior court in
each county may establish a homeless court, veterans' court and mental health
court to adjudicate cases filed in a justice or municipal court in the county.
The
presiding judge of the superior court must establish the eligibility criteria
for referral to the homeless, veterans' or mental health court. A justice of
the peace or municipal court judge who has jurisdiction over a case that meets
the eligibility criteria may refer the case to the homeless, veterans' or
mental health court. The originating court must notify the prosecutor of any
criminal case referred to the homeless, veterans' or mental health court (
A.R.S.
� 22-601
).
����������� A
veteran
is a U.S. citizen who was enlisted, drafted, inducted or
commissioned and who was accepted for and assigned to active duty in the U.S.
Armed Forces which includes the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
Public Health Services and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration, the National Guard and any military reserve unit of any branch
of the U.S. Armed Forces (
A.R.S.
� 41-601
).
����������� There is no anticipated fiscal impact
to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Grant
Program
1.
Establishes
the Grant Program for municipalities and counties in Arizona to establish a veterans�
court program.
2.
Requires
the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to administer the Grant Program.
3.
Requires the Grant Program to:
a)
support
the rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans as contributing members of
their communities;
b)
promote
collaboration among prosecutors, defense counsels, judges, community-based
support organizations in the state, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and
the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services (ADVS); and
c)
develop and oversee individualized treatment plans to address the
underlying causes of justice-involved veterans' behavior, including post-traumatic
stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anger management, domestic violence
prevention and intervention and alcohol and drug abuse treatment.
4.
Allows grant monies to:
a)
be used to establish new veterans' court programs; and
b)
expand and enhance existing veterans' court programs.
5.
Requires
the AOC to collaborate with county attorneys, municipal prosecutors, public
defenders and any relevant stakeholders to establish the best practices and
standards for the administration of veterans' court programs and data
collection in the state.
6.
Instructs
the Arizona Supreme Court to adopt rules as necessary and establish criteria to
implement the Grant Program.
7.
Establishes
the Fund consisting of legislative appropriations.
8.
Requires
AOC to administer the Fund.
9.
Allows
the Fund to be used to provide monies to municipalities and counties in the state
to establish a veterans' court program and to expand and enhance existing
veterans' court programs.
10.
Requires Fund monies to be
awarded annually to grantees and to be used for any relevant administrative
costs, including hiring personnel to establish, maintain or enhance a veterans'
court program.
11.
Requires applicants to
submit an application on a form prescribed by the AOC.
12.
Requires each grantee, by
December 31 of each year, to submit a report to the AOC that includes:
a)
the number of veterans served, separated by the type of offense, demographics
and military service history;
b)
arrest and recidivism rates among veterans' court program participants;
c)
veterans' court program completion rates and participant outcomes;
d)
use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services; and
e)
recommendations for veterans' court program and Grant Program
improvement.
13.
Requires the AOC to submit, by
March 1 of each year, a comprehensive report to the Governor, President of the
Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives that analyzes the data
submitted by grantees and that summarizes and includes:
a)
statewide data
on veterans' court programs that incorporate grantee-reported metrics on
participation, recidivism and treatment outcomes;
b)
challenges and
barriers to veterans' court program implementation, based on grantee feedback
and data;
c)
recommendations
for enhancing the identification and assessment of veterans within the criminal
justice system of Arizona, including data collection protocols and best
practices for cross-agency collaboration and data sharing among federal, state
and local stakeholders; and
d)
policy and funding
recommendations to improve veterans' court program and Grant Program effectiveness
and sustainability.
Incarcerated
Veterans
14.
Requires the Arizona Department
of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR), notwithstanding any other
law, to make reasonable efforts to identify incarcerated individuals who are
veterans in the state.
15.
Requires ADCRR and ADVS to
enter into a memorandum of understanding to establish procedures for secure
data sharing consistent with applicable state and federal confidentiality laws.
16.
Requires ADCRR to provide to
ADVS, on a monthly basis and to the extent practicable, a list of incarcerated
individuals who are identified as veterans and who have an anticipated release
date within 90 days.
17.
Limits the information
shared to the minimum information necessary to identify the individual and
facilitate outreach.
18.
Encourages ADVS to make a
reasonable effort to contact identified individuals before the individual's
release from incarceration and for a reasonable period following the
individual's release from incarceration.
19.
Stipulates that information
shared is confidential, is not subject to public disclosure and must be used
solely for the purpose of enabling ADVS to provide benefits counseling, assist
with eligibility determinations and provide information regarding available
federal, state or local veterans' benefits and services.
20.
Requires ADCRR, in
coordination with ADVS, to submit, by December 31, 2026, and each year
thereafter, a report to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of
the House of Representatives regarding the implementation of the prescribed
requirements for data sharing and identifying incarcerated veterans during the
preceding fiscal year.
21.
Stipulates that the report
must include data on:
a)
the number of currently incarcerated individuals identified as veterans
as of June 30 of the preceding fiscal year;
b)
the total number of veterans who were anticipated for release from
incarceration and who were referred to ADVS during the preceding fiscal year;
and
c)
the number of veterans who were assisted with initiation, reinstatement
or coordination of veterans' benefits before or after release from
incarceration during the preceding fiscal year.
Miscellaneous
22.
Specifies that Fund monies
are continuously appropriated.
23.
Defines a
veteran
.
24.
Becomes effective on the
general effective date.
House Action
APPROP�������� 2/23/26����� DPA���� 18-0-0-0
3
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Prepared
by Senate Research
March
19, 2026
KJA/KM/ci
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
Chapter 0262 - 572R - H Ver of HB2960
House Engrossed
veterans' court fund;
grant program
State of Arizona
House of Representatives
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
CHAPTER 262
HOUSE BILL 2960
AN
ACT
amending title 12, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona
Revised Statutes, by adding section 12-119.06; amending title 41, chapter
11, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 41-1610.04;
relating to VETERANS' SERVICES.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Title 12, chapter 1, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 12-119.06, to read:
START_STATUTE
12-119.06
.
Veterans'
specialty court grant program; veterans' treatment court fund; administration;
purpose; annual reports
A. The veterans' specialty court
grant program is established for municipalities and counties in this state to
establish a veterans' court program. The
administrative
office of the courts shall administer the veterans' specialty court grant
program. The
supreme court shall adopt rules
as necessary and establish criteria to implement this section.�
Grant monies may be used to establish new veterans' court programs and
to expand and enhance existing veterans' court programs established pursuant to
section 22-601.
B. The veterans' specialty court
grant program shall:
1. Support the rehabilitation and
reintegration of veterans as contributing members of their communities.
2. Promote collaboration among
prosecutors, defense counsels, judges, community-based support
organizations in this state, the United States department of veterans affairs
and the department of veterans' services.
3. Develop and oversee individualized
treatment plans to address the underlying causes of justice-involved
veterans' behavior, including any of the following:
(
a
) Post-traumatic
stress disorder.
(
b
) Traumatic
brain injury.
(
c
) Anger
management.
(
d
) Domestic
violence prevention and intervention.
(
e
) Alcohol and
drug abuse treatment.
C. The veterans' treatment court fund
is established consisting of legislative appropriations. The
administrative office of the courts shall administer the fund. Monies
in the fund are continuously appropriated.� The fund may be used to provide
monies to municipalities and counties in this state to establish a veterans'
court program pursuant to this section
and to expand and
enhance existing veterans' court programs established pursuant to section
22-601. Applicants shall submit an application on a form prescribed
by the
administrative office of the courts.� Fund monies
shall be awarded annually to grantees and shall be used for any relevant
administrative costs, including hiring personnel to establish, maintain or
enhance a veterans' court program.
D. The
administrative
office of the courts shall collaborate with county attorneys, municipal
prosecutors, public defenders and any relevant stakeholders to establish the
best practices and standards for the administration of veterans' court programs
and data collection in this state.
E. On
or before December 31 of each year, each grantee shall submit a report to the
administrative office of the courts that includes all of the
following:
1. The
number of veterans served, separated by type of offense, demographics and
military service history.
2. Arrest and recidivism rates among
veterans' court program participants.
3. Veterans' court program completion
rates and participant outcomes.
4. Use of mental health and substance
abuse treatment services.
5. Recommendations for veterans'
court program and veterans' specialty court grant program improvement.
F. On or before March 1 of each year,
the
administrative office of the courts shall submit a
comprehensive annual report to the governor, the president of the senate and
the speaker of the house of representatives that analyzes the data submitted
pursuant to subsection E of this section and that summarizes and includes all
of the following:
1. Statewide data on veterans' court
programs that incorporate grantee-reported metrics on participation,
recidivism and treatment outcomes.
2. Challenges and barriers to
veterans' court program implementation, based on grantee feedback and data.
3. Recommendations for enhancing the
identification and assessment of veterans within the criminal justice system of
this state, including data collection protocols and best practices for cross-agency
collaboration and data sharing among federal, state and local stakeholders.
4. Policy and funding recommendations
to improve veterans' court program and veterans' specialty court grant program
effectiveness and sustainability.
END_STATUTE
Sec. 2. Title 41, chapter 11, article 1,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1610.04, to read:
START_STATUTE
41-1610.04.
Department of veterans' services; veteran identification;
anticipated release; confidentiality; annual report; definition
A. NOTWITHSTANDING any other law, the
department shall make reasonable efforts to identify incarcerated individuals
who are veterans in this state.
B. On a monthly basis and to the
extent practicable, the state department of corrections shall provide to the
Department of Veterans' Services a list of incarcerated individuals who are
identified as veterans and who have an anticipated release date within ninety
days.� The information shared shall be limited to the minimum information
necessary to identify the individual and facilitate outreach.
C. Information shared pursuant to
subsection B of this section is confidential, is not subject to public
disclosure and shall be used solely for the purpose of enabling the Department
of Veterans' Services to provide benefits counseling, assist with eligibility
determinations and provide information regarding available federal, state or
local veterans' benefits and services.
D. The Department of Veterans'
Services shall make a reasonable effort to contact individuals identified on
the list before the individual's release from incarceration and for a
reasonable period following the individual's release from incarceration for the
purposes described in this section.
E. The state department of
corrections and the Department of Veterans' Services shall enter into a memorandum
of understanding to establish procedures for secure data sharing consistent
with applicable state and federal confidentiality laws.
F. On or before december 31, 2026 and
each year thereafter, the state department of corrections, in coordination with
THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES, shall submit a report to the governor,
the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives
regarding the implementation of this section during the preceding fiscal year.�
The report must include data on all of the following:
1. The number of currently
incarcerated individuals identified as veterans as of june 30 of the preceding
fiscal year.
2. The total number of veterans who
were anticipated for release from incarceration and who were referred to the
department of veterans' services during the preceding fiscal year.
3. The number of veterans who were
assisted with initiation, reinstatement or coordination of veterans benefits
before or after release from INCARCERATION during the preceding fiscal year.
G. For the purposes of this section,
"Veteran" has the same meaning prescribed in section 41-601.
END_STATUTE
APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR JUNE 22, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 22, 2026.