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Committee hears update on rising competency restoration charges and pending state legislation
Summary
Staff reported competency restoration expenses running roughly $393,000 through June against a $500,000 budget and described arrears; staff and members discussed seeking itemized bills from state providers and noted two pending state bills that could set time limits or create a work group to address open-ended costs.
County staff reported to the committee that competency restoration costs for services provided by state-run facilities and contractors are running high and creating arrears. The staff member said charges were about $393,000 for June and that total arrears between last year and this year are "around 70" (transcript wording), prompting requests for more detailed itemized billing.
A staff member summarized recent stakeholder meetings involving the chairman, district attorney and public defenders and recommended audit-committee correspondence to hospital mental-health providers requesting detailed expense breakdowns. "Let's try to go into correspondence," staff said, urging an itemized bill to separate restoration-specific charges from other costs.
Committee members discussed the policy context and possible limits. A staff presenter said two bills had passed both houses of the state legislature and awaited the governor's signature; one would form a work group and another would establish a cap and require examiners to opine on restorability with a proposed limit (staff referenced advocating for a 90-day cap at one point). Members urged continued statewide advocacy and discussed outpatient restoration, tiered systems and the trade-offs between public safety and cost containment.
The committee did not take formal county-level action beyond requesting correspondence and further information, but members signaled support for pursuing a clearer accounting of restoration expenses and monitoring upcoming state action.
