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Supreme Court-backed switch from "drug court" to "treatment court" wins committee approval (13-1)
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-1 to give a do-pass recommendation to House Bill 1030, which renames "drug courts" as "treatment courts" after a Supreme Court-led study and stakeholder consultation; supporters said the change helps destigmatize participants and aligns with national practice.
Senator Yana Bridal, interim judiciary chair, introduced House Bill 1030 to replace the term "drug court" with "treatment court" in state law. Scott Johnson, deputy state court administrator, presented the Supreme Court's study and draft language, noting the court consulted with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Health and Human Services, the attorney general's office, judges, court staff and current adult participants.
Johnson said the work group found respondents preferred the word "treatment" to the alternatives considered, and that "access to treatment resources" — not terminology — was the top priority for participants. "Those surveyed preferred the term treatment to wellness. Most were in favor of setting aside the term drug in relationship with these specialized courts," Johnson said. He added the change is consistent with other states that have moved away from the term "drug court."
Supporters described specialized dockets as intensive, court-supervised therapeutic programs that provide an alternative to traditional sentencing with a strong treatment component. Travis Fink, executive director of the state agency that supports the public defender system, said the change aligns with national best practices and can reduce stigma that may otherwise be a barrier to treatment.
Committee members asked whether programs are voluntary; Johnson said participation requires agreement by the defendant but is not mandatory. After discussion, the committee voted on a do-pass recommendation; the roll call recorded 13 yes and 1 no. Representative McLeod agreed to serve as bill carrier.
