Bill Text: TX SB1595 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to the nature of delivery of services to a person with mental illness.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-03-19 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB1595 Detail]

Download: Texas-2013-SB1595-Introduced.html

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83R3244 AED-D
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1595

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the nature of delivery of services to a person with
mental illness.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 571.002, Health and Safety Code, is
amended to read as follows:
Sec. 571.002. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subtitle is to
provide to each person having severe mental illness access to
humane care and treatment by:
(1) facilitating treatment in an appropriate setting;
(2) enabling the person to obtain necessary
evaluation, care, treatment, and rehabilitation with the least
possible trouble, expense, and embarrassment to the person and the
person's family;
(3) eliminating, if requested, the traumatic effect on
the person's mental health of public trial and criminal-like
procedures;
(4) protecting the person's right to a judicial
determination of the person's need for involuntary treatment;
(5) defining the criteria the state must meet to order
involuntary care and treatment;
(6) establishing the procedures to obtain facts, carry
out examinations, and make prompt and fair decisions;
(7) safeguarding the person's legal rights so as to
advance and not impede the therapeutic and protective purposes of
involuntary care; [and]
(8) safeguarding the rights of the person who
voluntarily requests inpatient care;
(9) providing the person's treatment in the least
restrictive fashion;
(10) treating the person as a voluntary patient when
possible, including after commitment to involuntary mental health
services if the person requests voluntary services; and
(11) using involuntary interventions only as a last
resort and when necessary to protect the health and safety of the
person needing treatment or the safety of others, including
treatment providers.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2013.