(a) An application for the release of a person who has been committed to a state hospital or other treatment facility, as provided in Section 1026, upon the ground that sanity has been restored, may be made to the superior court of the county from which the commitment was made, either by the person, or by the medical director of the state hospital or other treatment facility to which the person is committed or by the community program director where the person is on outpatient status under Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600). The court shall give notice of the hearing date to the prosecuting attorney, the community program director or a designee, and the medical director or person in charge of the facility providing treatment to the committed person at least 15 judicial days in advance of the hearing date.

(b) Pending the hearing, the medical director or person in charge of the facility in which the person is confined shall prepare a summary of the person’s programs of treatment and shall forward the summary to the community program director or a designee and to the court. The community program director or a designee shall review the summary and shall designate a facility within a reasonable distance from the court in which the person may be detained pending the hearing on the application for release. The facility so designated shall continue the program of treatment, shall provide adequate security, and shall, to the greatest extent possible, minimize interference with the person’s program of treatment.

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(c) A designated facility need not be approved for 72-hour treatment and evaluation pursuant to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act (Part 1 (commencing with Section 5000) of Division 5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code). However, a county jail may not be designated unless the services specified in subdivision (b) are provided and accommodations are provided which ensure both the safety of the person and the safety of the general population of the jail. If there is evidence that the treatment program is not being complied with or accommodations have not been provided which ensure both the safety of the committed person and the safety of the general population of the jail, the court shall order the person transferred to an appropriate facility or make any other appropriate order, including continuance of the proceedings.

(d) No hearing upon the application shall be allowed until the person committed has been confined or placed on outpatient status for a period of not less than 180 days from the date of the order of commitment.

(e) The court shall hold a hearing to determine whether the person applying for restoration of sanity would be a danger to the health and safety of others, due to mental defect, disease, or disorder, if under supervision and treatment in the community. If the court at the hearing determines the applicant will not be a danger to the health and safety of others, due to mental defect, disease, or disorder, while under supervision and treatment in the community, the court shall order the applicant placed with an appropriate forensic conditional release program for one year. All or a substantial portion of the program shall include outpatient supervision and treatment. The court shall retain jurisdiction. The court at the end of the one year, shall have a trial to determine if sanity has been restored, which means the applicant is no longer a danger to the health and safety of others, due to mental defect, disease, or disorder. The court shall not determine whether the applicant has been restored to sanity until the applicant has completed the one year in the appropriate forensic conditional release program, unless the community program director sooner makes a recommendation for restoration of sanity and unconditional release as described in subdivision (h). The court shall notify the persons required to be notified in subdivision (a) of the hearing date.

(f) If the applicant is on parole or outpatient status and has been on it for one year or longer, then it is deemed that the applicant has completed the required one year in an appropriate forensic conditional release program and the court shall, if all other applicable provisions of law have been met, hold the trial on restoration of sanity as provided for in this section.

(g) Before placing an applicant in an appropriate forensic conditional release program, the community program director or their designee, or, pursuant to § 4360.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the independent evaluation panel, shall submit to the court a written recommendation as to what forensic conditional release program is the most appropriate for supervising and treating the applicant. If the court does not accept the recommendation of the community program director or panel, the court shall specify the reason or reasons for its order on the court record. Sections 1605 to 1610, inclusive, shall be applicable to the person placed in the forensic conditional release program unless otherwise ordered by the court.

(h)  (1)  If the court determines that the person should be transferred to an appropriate forensic conditional release program, the community program director or a designee shall make the necessary placement arrangements, and, within 21 days after receiving notice of the court finding, the person shall be placed in the community in accordance with the treatment and supervision plan, unless good cause for not doing so is made known to the court.

(2)  During the one year of supervision and treatment, if the community program director is of the opinion that the person is no longer a danger to the health and safety of others due to a mental defect, disease, or disorder, the community program director shall submit a report of their opinion and recommendations to the committing court, the prosecuting attorney, and the attorney for the person. The court shall then set and hold a trial to determine whether restoration of sanity and unconditional release should be granted. The trial shall be conducted in the same manner as is required at the end of one full year of supervision and treatment.

(i) If at the trial for restoration of sanity the court rules adversely to the applicant, the court may place the applicant on outpatient status, pursuant to Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600) of Part 2, unless the applicant does not meet all of the requirements of Section 1603.

(j) If the court denies the application to place the person in an appropriate forensic conditional release program or if restoration of sanity is denied, no new application may be filed by the person until one year has elapsed from the date of the denial.

(k) In any hearing authorized by this section, the applicant shall have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence.

(l) If the application for the release is not made by the medical director of the state hospital or other treatment facility to which the person is committed or by the community program director where the person is on outpatient status under Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600), no action on the application shall be taken by the court without first obtaining the written recommendation of the medical director of the state hospital or other treatment facility or of the community program director where the person is on outpatient status under Title 15 (commencing with Section 1600).

(m) This subdivision shall apply only to persons who, at the time of the petition or recommendation for restoration of sanity, are subject to a term of imprisonment with prison time remaining to serve or are subject to the imposition of a previously stayed sentence to a term of imprisonment. Any person to whom this subdivision applies who petitions or is recommended for restoration of sanity may not be placed in a forensic conditional release program for one year, and a finding of restoration of sanity may be made without the person being in a forensic conditional release program for one year. If a finding of restoration of sanity is made, the person shall be transferred to the custody of the California Department of Corrections to serve the term of imprisonment remaining or shall be transferred to the appropriate court for imposition of the sentence that is pending, whichever is applicable.

(Amended by Stats. 2022, Ch. 47, Sec. 40. (SB 184) Effective June 30, 2022.)