CS for SB 1756 Summary

• Revises Florida's mental health law (Baker Act) to update terminology from "patient" to "individual" and expand rights protections for persons receiving mental health examination or treatment

• Expands qualified professionals who can initiate involuntary examinations to include advanced registered nurse practitioners and physician assistants; creates new definition of "government facility" to include Department of Veterans Affairs facilities

• Establishes new protection and advocacy access rights for federally mandated disability advocacy system; repeals sections related to Florida statewide and local advocacy councils

• Modifies voluntary admission procedures for minors to require documented assent verification within 12 hours; updates requirements for health care surrogates and proxies in treatment decisions and representative selection

• Strengthens facility reporting requirements for serious incidents including deaths, injuries, unauthorized departures, and sexual battery allegations; expands definition of "employee" for sexual misconduct reporting to include staff, volunteers, and interns