Bill No.: HB0095                  Drafter:  JWL

LSO No.:  11LSO-0109              Effective Date:  7/1/2011

Enrolled Act No.:  HEA0025

Chapter No.:       54

Prime Sponsor:     Representative Harvey

Catch Title:       Involuntary commitment examiners.

Subject:  Expands definition of "examiner" for purposes of involuntary commitments.

Summary/Major Elements:

• Current law requires certification by an examiner before a mentally ill person may be involuntarily detained on an emergency basis or hospitalized.

• This bill:

o Amends the definition of "examiner" to include licensed physician's assistants for purposes of emergency detention only;

o Allows a person to waive an emergency detention hearing, but not if a physician's assistant was the only examiner;

o Authorizes the combination of an emergency detention hearing and an involuntary hospitalization hearing, provided a physician's assistant is not the examiner for an involuntary hospitalization hearing.