HB 1453 Summary

• Expands definitions of qualified examiners to include advanced practice registered nurses and clarifies their scope of practice in civil commitment proceedings.

• Requires courts to consider less restrictive alternatives to involuntary hospitalization, including alternative treatment orders for up to 90 days with prescribed medications and outpatient programs.

• Establishes procedures for emergency detention and modification of alternative treatment orders when respondents are non-compliant or at serious risk of harm, with court hearings required within 7 days.

• Modifies involuntary admission standards to require determination that an individual is a "person requiring treatment" before hospitalization can occur.

• Directs legislative management to study state civil commitment laws and procedures during 2019-20 interim to examine violence prevention, firearm confiscation authority, early intervention effectiveness, and uniformity of implementation across counties.