§ 23A-50-5 — Fund for assisting counties with cost of court-ordered competency evaluations of defendants.

The Association of County Commissioners, formed pursuant to § 7-7-28 , may create and administer a fund for the purpose of assisting counties with the cost of competency evaluations for defendants for whom an evaluation has been ordered by the court. The Department of Social Services may contract with the association to reallocate funds used at the Human Services Center on contractual services for forensic evaluations to be administered through this fund. The fund may also receive and distribute money from any other source. The association board of directors shall provide procedures for the equitable distribution of money from this fund to the counties utilizing court-ordered competency evaluations and provide for the payment of an administrative fee and other reasonable expenses related to the administration of the fund. The association shall report to the Department of Social Services the amount distributed annually in total and by county and the number of competency evaluations completed with funds from the program. The liability of the association related to the administration of this fund shall be limited to the money as is available for such purposes in the fund.

Legislative History

SL 2017, ch 109, § 15; SL 2023, ch 79, § 6.