The bill amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Code and the Assisted Outpatient Treatment Act to introduce new definitions for "harm to self" and "harm to others." The new definition of "harm to others" specifies that it refers to instances where an individual has recently inflicted or attempted to inflict serious bodily harm on another person or has acted in a way that creates a substantial risk of such harm, with a likelihood of repeating this conduct in the near future. Similarly, "harm to self" is defined as a situation where an individual is likely to attempt suicide or cause serious bodily harm to themselves, or where their recent behavior indicates a lack of capacity to meet their basic needs, potentially leading to severe consequences if treatment is not provided.

Additionally, the bill removes previous definitions of "likelihood of serious harm to oneself" and "likelihood of serious harm to others," replacing them with the newly defined terms. This legislative change aims to clarify the criteria for assessing risks associated with individuals in mental health contexts, thereby enhancing the framework for treatment and intervention under the relevant laws.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 30-1-8, 30-6A-4, 30-31-20, 30-31-21, 30-31-22, 30-31-23, 30-52-1, 31-9-1.2, 31-9-1.3, 31-9-1.4, 31-9-1.5, 31-9-1.6, 31-9-2, 31-18-15, 31-26-3, 32A-2-2, 32A-2-3, 32A-2-4.1, 32A-2-8, 32A-2-11, 32A-2-12, 32A-2-13, 32A-2-14, 32A-2-17, 32A-2-18, 32A-2-19, 32A-2-20, 32A-2-22, 32A-2-23, 32A-2-23.1, 32A-2-24, 32A-2-26, 33-2-34, 43-1B-4, 32A-2-32.1
JU substitute: 43-1-3, 43-1B-2