[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 46 (Monday, April 18, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S3862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING AN ANNUAL APPROPRIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH COURTS THROUGH 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2011

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 289 and the 
Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 289) to authorize an annual appropriation of 
     $10,000,000 for mental health courts through fiscal year 
     2011.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate is going to 
pass S. 289, a bill to reauthorize the Mental Health Court Program and 
provide $10 million in grant funding annually for mental health courts 
through fiscal year 2011. I am the lead Democratic sponsor of this 
bill, and cosponsored similar legislation in the last Congress.
  Senator DeWine and I have worked together on a number of mental 
health issues. Last year, we worked together to enact the Mentally Ill 
Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act, which authorizes $50 
million annually for a range of State and local projects designed to 
reduce the number of crimes committed by mentally ill individuals. We 
are now working together to obtain appropriations to fund the new law.
  As former prosecutors, Senator DeWine and I both realize the 
tremendous impact of mental illness on our criminal justice system. We 
need to stop the ``revolving door'' whereby mentally ill offenders 
cycle in and out of the criminal justice system for relatively minor 
offenses, taking up the time and resources of law enforcement officers, 
judges, and the community as a whole. My State of Vermont has benefited 
from funding under the Mental Health Court Program, and I know 
firsthand the good that mental health courts can do.
  I hope the House will take up this bipartisan and uncontroversial 
legislation promptly and ensure that Federal support for mental health 
courts will continue.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 289) was read the third time and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 289

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled.

     SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 1001(a)(20) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
     and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(20)) is 
     amended by striking ``fiscal years 2001 through 2004'' and 
     inserting ``fiscal years 2006 through 2011''.

     

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