S347 Summary

• Creates new statute § 122C-263.2 allowing acute care hospitals and first examination sites to use reasonable safety and containment measures for patients pending involuntary commitment without being classified as mental health facilities.

• Authorizes specific safety measures including altering rooms to prevent injury, consolidating patients in designated hospital locations, improving security, and other reasonable precautions that comply with law.

• Specifies that reasonable safety measures and patient consolidation do not violate acute care hospital regulations and do not constitute operation of a special care unit or mental health facility.

• Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to study Local Management Entities (LMEs) efforts to reduce acute care inpatient admissions and reduce patients requiring multiple crisis service episodes, with quarterly reports to the General Assembly from October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013.

• Effective upon enactment, ratified June 26, 2012, and signed into law June 29, 2012.