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Gov. Sununu Signs Veterans Court Bill into Law

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Governor Chris Sununu has signed legislation to establish uniform guidelines for the state's veterans courts.

Veterans courts give some vets grappling with mental health or drug use problems a chance to solve them without going to jail. These courts already exist in Nashua, Manchester, and the Upper Valley.

The law spells out ten key components for them. Those components include monitoring of veterans in the program and the integration of alcohol, drug, and mental health services.

Under the legislation, veterans who complete the treatment programs spelled out by the court can, after at least one year, petition for the annulment of the charges or conviction that put them in the court.

The law takes effect in 2018.

Peter Biello is the host of All Things Considered and Writers on a New England Stage at New Hampshire Public Radio. He has served as a producer/announcer/host of Weekend Edition Saturday at Vermont Public Radio and as a reporter/host of Morning Edition at WHQR in Wilmington, North Carolina.
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