The House Public Health Committee heard HB 1006 concerning mental health matters authored by Rep. Kirchhofer. Portions of the bill (1) expand eligibility for Recovery Works services to include individuals under the age of 18 whose cases were waived to adult court or direct filed into adult court, and (2) permit the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, with a recommendation by the Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council (JRAC), to operate a pilot program for the misdemeanor population to receive Recovery Works services along with a request for a legislative study committee in 2017 to review expanding Recovery Works for misdemeanor offenders.
In addition to other supporting testimony by providers and advocates, Jane Seigel, Executive Director of the Indiana Office of Courts Services and JRAC chair, and Larry Landis, Indiana Public Defender Council and JRAC’s legislative subcommittee chair, testified in favor of these specific provisions of the bill. The bill passed as amended 11-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/house/1006