Legislation
Find information on current and pending legislation relating to criminal justice/mental health issues produced by the Justice Center's government affairs team.
Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA)
What is MIOTCRA?
The Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) of 2004 (Public Law 108-414) was passed unanimously by the U.S. House and Senate and signed into law by President Bush on October 30, 2004. It authorized the appropriation of $50 million per year for FY 2004 and FY 2005 and such sums as may be necessary for 2006-2009.
For the text of the original MIOTCRA bill, please click here. For text of the 2008 Reauthorization bill, please click here.
Updates
Fiscal Year 2012 Budget Proposal
On February 14, 2011, President Obama unveiled his fiscal year 2012 budget proposal. The President's budget proposes that drug and mental health courts programs be combined into a $57 million drug, mental health, and problem solving courts initiative. This policy change would eliminate many of the non-judicial programs funded under the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. This is the third year that the Administration has proposed this policy change, which Congress has rejected. Learn More
Fiscal Year 2011 Senate Subcommittee Appropriations Bill
On Thursday, July 22, 2010, the Senate Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee (CJS) approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2011 that includes $11 million for the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act. The bill, which contains $29.9 billion in total budget authority, provides $3.7 billion for state and local law enforcement programs and also includes:
- $50 million for the Second Chance Act
- $520 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants
- $214 million for Byrne Discretionary Grants
- $40 million for Byrne Competitive Grants
- $586 million for Community Oriented Policing Service Grants
- $45 million for drug courts
- $20 million for residential substance abuse treatment for state prisoners
- $300 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
- $468 million for the Office on Violence Against Women
- $490 million for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention
- $400 million to prevent, investigate, and prosecute crimes against children under the Adam Walsh Act
- $841 million for the Crime Victims Fund
Committee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate. The House CJS Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft FY11 spending bill on June 29. The numbers will be released after the full House Appropriations Committee mark-up.