House Bill 742

AN ACT TO CREATE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE TREATMENT OF THE MENTALLY ILL WHILE INCARCERATED IN MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY JAILS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE TASK FORCE; TO PRESCRIBE THE DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) There is created a task force to address the issue of the treatment of the mentally ill who commit misdemeanor offenses and who serve sentences in the municipal and county jails of this state. The task force shall be composed of eleven (11) members, as follows:

(a) The Chairmen of the House and Senate Public Health and Welfare Committees, or their designees;

(b) The Chairmen of the House and Senate Corrections Committees, or their designees;

(d) The Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health, or his designee;

(e) The Commissioner of the Department of Corrections, or his designee;

(f) A representative from the Office of the Governor, appointed by the Governor;

(g) The President of the Mississippi Sheriffs' Association, or his designee; and

(h) The President of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police, or his designee.

(2) The duties of the task force shall be as follows:

(a) Review data regarding the current number of the mentally ill who are incarcerated in municipal and county jails in this state;

(b) Evaluate data as to whether the mentally ill have access to treatment while in jail, and the types of treatment for the mentally ill that are used in municipal and county jails in this state;

(c) Review data as to whether municipal and county jails provide training to their officers regarding the treatment of the mentally ill while incarcerated;

(d) Review data as to whether post-release referral services are utilized upon the release of the mentally ill from municipal and county jails;

(e) Evaluate costs associated with treating the mentally ill who are incarcerated in municipal and county jails;

(f) Determine what other states are doing to address mental health needs of the mentally ill who are incarcerated in municipal and county jails; and

(g) Develop best practices and current methods utilized for the treatment of the mentally ill incarcerated in municipal and county jails.

The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 31, 2015, including any recommended legislation. The report shall be filed with the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the Senate. Upon submission of its report, the task force shall be dissolved.

(3) Legislative appointments shall be made within thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. Within fifteen (15) days thereafter on a day to be designated jointly by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor, the task force shall meet and organize by selecting from its membership a chairman and a vice chairman. The vice chairman shall also serve as secretary and shall be responsible for keeping all records of the task force. A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. In the selection of its officers and the adoption of rules, resolutions and reports, an affirmative vote of a majority of the task force shall be required. All members shall be notified in writing of all meetings, and those notices shall be mailed at least fifteen (15) days before the date on which a meeting is to be held.

(4) The Department of Mental Health shall provide appropriate staff support to assist the task force in carrying out its duties. The Executive Director of the Department of Mental Health shall designate an appropriate employee to act as a point of contact for the provision of staff support to the task force. In addition, the task force may consult with employees of any state agency or department necessary to accomplish the task force's responsibilities under this act.

(5) The members of the task force who are not legislators shall be compensated at the per diem rate authorized by Section 25-3-69 and shall be reimbursed in accordance with Section 25-3-41 for mileage and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Legislative members of the task force shall be paid from the contingent expense funds of their respective houses in the same manner as provided for committee meetings when the Legislature is not in session. However, no per diem or expenses for attending meetings of the task force will be paid to legislative members of the task force while the Legislature is in session. No task force member may incur per diem, travel or other expenses unless previously authorized by vote, at a meeting of the task force, which action shall be recorded in the official minutes of the meeting. The nonlegislative members shall be paid from any funds made available to the task force for that purpose.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.