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Subcommittee adds pilot recovery‑court amendment to HB 14‑71 to expand treatment access
Summary
An amendment to HB 14‑71 creates a limited pilot recovery‑court program in Northeast Tennessee to expand treatment options for nonviolent individuals with substance use disorders; the amendment was adopted and the bill advanced to full judiciary (8‑0).
Representative Hicks told the committee the amendment creates a limited pilot program in Northeast Tennessee to expand access to drug treatment (recovery court), giving judges discretion to admit appropriate participants while excluding violent offenders. "This amendment creates a limited pilot program in Northeast Tennessee to expand access to drug treatment, drug court treatment or otherwise known as, recovery court," he said.
Members asked about statewide rollout and fiscal impact; Leader Lambert noted a question about why the amendment limited the program geographically, and Hicks said the pilot will help measure cost and outcomes before statewide expansion. The committee adopted amendment 15621 (voice vote) and voted 8‑0 to send the bill as amended to full judiciary.
