HB254 Summary

• Establishes a $6.50 fee (adjustable up to $8.50) on probate filings in St. Clair County to fund the St. Clair County Mental Health Advisory Board and crisis intervention services.

• Creates a five-member Mental Health Advisory Board consisting of the County Commission Chair, Sheriff, Judge of Probate, and two at-large members appointed by the County Commission.

• Authorizes the board to appoint a mental health officer and assistant mental health officers as employees of the Sheriff, operating under the day-to-day supervision of the Judge of Probate.

• Empowers mental health officers to respond when law enforcement encounters individuals with apparent mental illness posing real and present threat of substantial harm, assess their condition, and facilitate admission to mental health facilities.

• Authorizes the mental health officer to file petitions for commitment with probate court based on facility determinations requiring involuntary commitment under Alabama law; act becomes effective October 1, 2025.