13-3601.01. Domestic violence; treatment; definition

A. The judge shall order a person who is convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense to complete a domestic violence offender treatment program that is provided by a facility approved by the court pursuant to rules adopted by the supreme court, the department of health services, the United States department of veterans affairs or a probation department. If a person has previously been ordered to complete a domestic violence offender treatment program pursuant to this section, the judge shall order the person to complete a domestic violence offender treatment program unless the judge deems that alternative sanctions are more appropriate. The department of health services shall adopt and enforce guidelines that establish standards for domestic violence offender treatment program approval.

B. On conviction of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense, if a person within a period of sixty months has previously been convicted of a violation of a domestic violence offense or is convicted of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense and has previously been convicted of an act in another state, a court of the United States or a tribal court that if committed in this state would be a domestic violence offense, the judge may order the person to be placed on supervised probation and the person may be incarcerated as a condition of probation. If the court orders supervised probation, the court may conduct an intake assessment when the person begins the term of probation and may conduct a discharge summary when the person is released from probation. If the person is incarcerated and the court receives confirmation that the person is employed or is a student, the court, on pronouncement of any jail sentence, may provide in the sentence that the person, if the person is employed or is a student and can continue the person's employment or studies, may continue the employment or studies for not more than twelve hours a day nor more than five days a week. The person shall spend the remaining day, days or parts of days in jail until the sentence is served and shall be allowed out of jail only long enough to complete the actual hours of employment or studies.

C. A person who is ordered to complete a domestic violence offender treatment program shall pay the cost of the program.

D. If a person is ordered to attend a domestic violence offender treatment program pursuant to this section, the program shall report to the court whether the person has attended the program and has successfully completed the program.

E. For the purposes of this section, prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence offenses apply to convictions for offenses that were committed on or after January 1, 1999.

F. For the purposes of this section, " domestic violence offense" means an offense involving domestic violence as defined in section 13-3601.