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 evaluating individuals continues until the evaluation period ends, 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 evaluations must be completed and filed with the court within 72 hours of admission, excluding weekends and holidays, and it clarifies that weekends and holidays are excluded from the timeline for reviewing applications for evaluations.

Furthermore, the bill introduces several technical changes, including the requirement that petitions for court-ordered treatment be filed on the same or the next court day after an evaluation determines that the individual poses a danger to themselves or others, or has a persistent or acute disability. It also specifies that individuals evaluated on an inpatient basis must be released within 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays, unless they voluntarily seek further treatment or a petition for treatment has been filed. Overall, these updates aim to streamline the evaluation process and ensure timely responses to individuals in need of mental health assessments.

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