The proposed bill would amend current statutes regarding court-ordered evaluations by clarifying the responsibilities of counties and the timelines for evaluations. Specifically, it would establish that a county's responsibility for a person undergoing a court-ordered evaluation continues until the evaluation period concludes, which occurs when a petition for court-ordered treatment is filed, the individual agrees to voluntary treatment, or the individual is released from evaluation. Additionally, the bill mandates that a petition for court-ordered treatment must be filed within 72 hours of the completion of the evaluation, excluding weekends and holidays, unless the individual is released or admitted voluntarily.

Furthermore, the bill introduces specific exclusions for weekends and holidays in the timelines for actions taken by screening agencies and the evaluation process. It requires that if an application for evaluation is not acted upon within 48 hours, the reasons must be reviewed by the director of the screening agency, also excluding weekends and holidays from this requirement. The bill also makes technical changes to existing language for clarity and consistency. Overall, these updates aim to streamline the evaluation process while ensuring that individuals' rights and needs are adequately addressed.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 36-520, 36-530, 36-531, 36-521, 8-327, 13-501, 36-512, 36-513
House Engrossed Version: 36-520, 36-530, 36-531, 36-521, 8-327, 13-501, 36-512, 36-513
Senate Engrossed Version: 36-520, 36-530, 36-531, 36-545.06, 36-521, 8-327, 13-501, 36-512, 36-513, 13-4517, 15-765, 15-766
Chaptered Version: 36-520, 36-530, 36-531, 36-545.06, 36-521, 8-327, 13-501, 36-512, 36-513, 13-4517, 15-765, 15-766