HB 955 Summary

• Expands consent authority for mental health treatment to include health care surrogates and representatives in addition to guardians and guardian advocates.

• Changes patient communication restrictions review from every 7 days to every 24 hours, and authorizes receiving facilities and counties to use mobile crisis response teams for certain purposes.

• Modifies involuntary examination procedures by making it discretionary (rather than mandatory) for officers to take persons into custody and establishes stricter standards for physical force use, requiring crisis intervention team (CIT) training when practicable.

• Removes requirement that receiving facilities provide examination and treatment to felony arrestees at the place of custody, and allows judges to direct persons to behavioral health diversion programs instead of returning them to law enforcement custody.

• Establishes comprehensive rights and procedures for inmates in county detention facilities, including rights to quality treatment, express informed consent for psychiatric medication, and court hearings before involuntary treatment with procedures for renewal or continuation.