The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard HB 1531, sponsored by Sen. Steele and Sen. Houchin and presented by author Rep. Davisson, concerning video conferencing by confined persons. The bill provides for using two-way video conferencing between courts and DOC inmates and between jail inmates and mental health providers. The committee raised a number of questions regarding the circumstances in which video conferencing could be used. Testimony was received from the Indiana Council of Community Mental Health Centers, Public Defender Council, and Hoosier Press Association. After committee discussion, there were several amendments offered to the bill, which include requiring the defendant’s consent to video conference for court proceedings and for mental health evaluations, provides that the mental health evaluations under this statute would be for treatment and assessments, and prohibits video conferencing for competency determination assessments or for evaluations related to the defense of mental illness or mental defect to a crime. The amended bill passed 9-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2015/bills/house/1531.