(a) (1) Each county, through the county alcohol and drug program administrator, shall determine its ability to establish, through public or private resources, a program of alcohol and other drug education and counseling services for a person whose license to drive has been administratively suspended or revoked for, or who is convicted of, a first violation of Section 23152 or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, or who is convicted of a violation of subdivision (b), (c), (d), or (e) of Section 655 of, or Section 655.4 of, the Harbors and Navigation Code, pursuant to subdivisions (e) and (f) of Section 668 of the Harbors and Navigation Code. The program shall be self-supporting through fees collected from program participants. The program shall be of at least three months’ duration and consist of at least 30 hours of direct education and counseling services. The program shall be authorized by each county and licensed by, and operated under general regulations established by, the department.
(2) (A) A county that shows the department that it has insufficient resources, insufficient potential program participants, or other material disadvantages is not required to establish a program.
(B) The department may license an alcohol and other drug education program that is less than 30 hours in length in any county where the board of supervisors has provided the showing pursuant to subparagraph (A), and the department has upheld that showing. The shorter program is subject to all other applicable regulations developed by the department pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 11837.4.
(b) Each county that has approved an alcohol and other drug education program or programs and that is licensed by the department shall make provision for persons who can document current inability to pay the program fee, in order to enable those persons to participate. The county shall require that the program report the failure of a person referred to the program to enroll in the program to the referring court.
(c) In order to assure effectiveness of the alcohol and other drug education and counseling program, the county shall provide, as appropriate, services to ethnic minorities, women, youth, or any other group that has particular needs related to the program.
(d) (1) Any person required to successfully complete an alcohol and other drug education and counseling program as a condition of probation shall enroll in the program and, except when enrollment is required in a program that is required to report failures to enroll to the court, shall furnish proof of the enrollment to the court within the period of time and in the manner specified by the court. The person also shall participate in and successfully complete the program, and shall furnish proof of successful completion within the period of time and in the manner specified by the court.
(2) An alcohol and other drug education and counseling program shall report to the court, within the period of time and in the manner specified by the court, the name of any person who fails to successfully complete the program.
(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 862, Sec. 107. Effective January 1, 2005.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018