The bill enacts a new section, R.S. 15:830.3, to establish a mental health transition pilot program administered by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in the parishes of Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa. This program aims to provide transition services for individuals on probation or parole who have mental health disorders, as defined by the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. To determine eligibility, the department will conduct screenings, and participants will be required to schedule and attend mental health or substance use disorder treatment appointments and complete a Medicaid application as conditions of their probation or parole.

Additionally, the department is tasked with conducting an annual study to assess the recidivism rates of individuals receiving these mental health transition services compared to those who do not. A report detailing these findings must be submitted to various state officials by December 31 each year, highlighting the one-year return rate of individuals to custody based on their participation in the program. The bill emphasizes the importance of mental health support for individuals in the criminal justice system to reduce recidivism and improve community reintegration.