7-13-1605. Establishment of court supervised program account; rules and regulations; panel created; program funding.

(a) There is created a court supervised treatment program account. All interest earned on funds within this account shall be deposited in the account. The department shall oversee and provide funding for programs from the court supervised treatment program account. Funds within the account shall be expended by the department for the purposes of this act upon legislative appropriation provided, however, that surcharges deposited in the account pursuant to W.S. 7-13-1616(e) shall be distributed to programs by the department semiannually. Department expenses under this act shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the total amount of funding provided by the department for programs in any fiscal biennium.

(b) The department shall determine whether an application for a program meets the qualifications specified in W.S. 7-13-1606(b) and the rules and regulations promulgated by the department pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement this act, including establishing standards consistent with the key components of drug courts defined by the United States department of justice or such similar rules as may be adopted by the department. The rules shall:

(i) Specify funding formulas for funding from the account which formula shall include provisions requiring local contribution to the cost of a program;

(ii) Require participants to contribute financially to their own program;

(iii) Establish program requirements, operational standards and protocols for programs, program team and staff training requirements, program data collection and maintenance, certification requirements for treatment personnel, and incentive and sanction limitations.

(d) A panel, consisting of the attorney general, the directors of the department of health, department of family services and department of corrections, the chairman of the governor's advisory board on substance abuse and violent crimes and the state public defender, or their designees, shall make the final determination whether an application for a court supervised treatment program meets the qualifications of this act and shall determine the funding amount for each successful applicant. The panel may deny an application for a new program if the funding for the new program would substantially affect funding levels for existing programs.

(e) In addition to those funds deposited in the account created by this section, the department may accept, and shall deposit to the account, any gifts, contributions, donations, grants or federal funds specifically given to the department for the benefit of programs in Wyoming.

(f) Nothing in this act shall prohibit a program from obtaining or providing supplemental funding. All supplemental funds received by a program shall be reported to the department.