HB 5615 Summary

• Replaces mandatory language ("shall") with "must" throughout sections 134, 147, and 720 of the Mental Health Code for consistency in legal drafting.

• Requires psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units to report recipient deaths to the department within 3 business days of death (or within 30 days if death occurs after discharge), including detailed information about the recipient, cause of death, medical history, and circumstances.

• Specifies different reporting timeframes: state-operated facilities must report deaths occurring within 12 months post-discharge, while community mental health programs must report deaths within 60 days of discharge or service closure.

• Establishes that the department's office of recipient rights has oversight authority over psychiatric hospitals and psychiatric units to ensure effective recipient rights systems are in place.

• Requires the department to review death reports, conduct investigations for potential licensing or rights violations, and provide annual statistical summaries to legislative committees on reported deaths and causes.