SB 1210 Summary

• Adds "authorized transporter" definition to mental health law, allowing cities, towns, and counties to contract with ambulance services or behavioral health transportation providers as alternatives to peace officers for transporting patients to evaluation and treatment agencies.

• Establishes immunity from civil liability for courts, persons, evaluation agencies, mental health treatment agencies, and authorized transporters who authorize or conduct apprehension and transportation of patients, except in cases of gross negligence.

• Requires personal service of court orders and documents in involuntary evaluation and treatment proceedings, allowing service by peace officers, process servers, or other authorized persons with filed proof of service.

• Permits cities and towns operating ambulance services to amend their certificate of necessity to provide interfacility transports between health care institutions and evaluation or mental health treatment agencies in lieu of peace officer transports.

• Establishes a study committee on alternative behavioral health transportation to research and recommend criteria for certifying alternative transportation providers, identify implementation barriers and costs, and report findings by December 31, 2023.