Florida Senate - 2019                                    SB 1418
       
       
        
       By Senator Powell
       
       
       
       
       
       30-01948A-19                                          20191418__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to admission to mental health
    3         facilities; amending ss. 394.4599 and 394.4785, F.S.;
    4         requiring a court to appoint a public guardian for a
    5         person who is subject to a petition for involuntary
    6         services under certain circumstances; requiring the
    7         clerk of the court to immediately notify the public
    8         guardian of the appointment; providing requirements
    9         for such public guardian; granting access to certain
   10         persons and records for an attorney representing a
   11         patient subject to a petition for involuntary
   12         services; requiring such attorney to represent the
   13         best interests of the patient; amending s. 394.4625,
   14         F.S.; requiring the administrator of a receiving
   15         facility to file a petition for voluntary placement
   16         within a specified timeframe after a person younger
   17         than a specified age is admitted for services or
   18         transferred to voluntary status except when specified
   19         parties agree in writing that treatment is in the
   20         person’s best interest; providing requirements for
   21         such petitions; requiring the court to hold a hearing
   22         within a specified timeframe to verify consent under
   23         certain circumstances; amending s. 394.499, F.S.;
   24         requiring the administrator of a children’s crisis
   25         stabilization unit or a juvenile addictions receiving
   26         facility to file a petition for voluntary placement
   27         within a specified timeframe after a person under a
   28         specified age is admitted for services except when
   29         specified parties agree in writing that treatment is
   30         in the person’s best interest; requiring the court to
   31         hold a hearing within a specified timeframe to verify
   32         consent under certain circumstances; providing an
   33         effective date.
   34          
   35  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   36  
   37         Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of section
   38  394.4599, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   39         394.4599 Notice.—
   40         (2) INVOLUNTARY ADMISSION.—
   41         (c)1.a. A receiving facility shall give notice of the
   42  whereabouts of a minor who is being involuntarily held for
   43  examination pursuant to s. 394.463 to the minor’s parent,
   44  guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate, in person or by
   45  telephone or other form of electronic communication, immediately
   46  after the minor’s arrival at the facility. The facility may
   47  delay notification for no more than 24 hours after the minor’s
   48  arrival if the facility has submitted a report to the central
   49  abuse hotline, pursuant to s. 39.201, based upon knowledge or
   50  suspicion of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and if the facility
   51  deems a delay in notification to be in the minor’s best
   52  interest.
   53         b.Within 1 court working day after a petition for
   54  involuntary services has been filed, the court shall appoint a
   55  public defender to represent the person who is the subject of
   56  the petition, unless the person is otherwise represented by
   57  counsel. The clerk of the court must immediately notify the
   58  public defender of the appointment. The public defender shall
   59  represent the person until the petition is dismissed, the court
   60  order expires, or the patient is discharged from involuntary
   61  services. The attorney who represents the patient must be
   62  provided access to the patient, witnesses, and records relevant
   63  to the presentation of the patient’s case and shall represent
   64  the interests of the patient, regardless of the course of
   65  payment to the attorney.
   66         2. The receiving facility shall attempt to notify the
   67  minor’s parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate until
   68  the receiving facility receives confirmation from the parent,
   69  guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate, verbally, by
   70  telephone or other form of electronic communication, or by
   71  recorded message, that notification has been received. Attempts
   72  to notify the parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate
   73  must be repeated at least once every hour during the first 12
   74  hours after the minor’s arrival and once every 24 hours
   75  thereafter and must continue until such confirmation is
   76  received, unless the minor is released at the end of the 72-hour
   77  examination period, or until a petition for involuntary services
   78  is filed with the court pursuant to s. 394.463(2)(g). The
   79  receiving facility may seek assistance from a law enforcement
   80  agency to notify the minor’s parent, guardian, caregiver, or
   81  guardian advocate if the facility has not received within the
   82  first 24 hours after the minor’s arrival a confirmation by the
   83  parent, guardian, caregiver, or guardian advocate that
   84  notification has been received. The receiving facility must
   85  document notification attempts in the minor’s clinical record.
   86         Section 2. Section 394.4785, Florida Statutes, is amended
   87  to read:
   88         394.4785 Children and Adolescents; admission and placement
   89  in mental health facilities.—
   90         (1) A child or adolescent as defined in s. 394.492 may not
   91  be admitted to a state-owned or state-operated mental health
   92  treatment facility. A child may be admitted pursuant to s.
   93  394.4625 or s. 394.467 to a crisis stabilization unit or a
   94  residential treatment center licensed under this chapter or a
   95  hospital licensed under chapter 395. The treatment center, unit,
   96  or hospital must provide the least restrictive available
   97  treatment that is appropriate to the individual needs of the
   98  child or adolescent and must adhere to the guiding principles,
   99  system of care, and service planning provisions contained in
  100  part III of this chapter.
  101         (2) A person under the age of 14 who is admitted to any
  102  hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 395 may not be admitted to
  103  a bed in a room or ward with an adult patient in a mental health
  104  unit or share common areas with an adult patient in a mental
  105  health unit. However, a person 14 years of age or older may be
  106  admitted to a bed in a room or ward in the mental health unit
  107  with an adult if the admitting physician documents in the case
  108  record that such placement is medically indicated or for reasons
  109  of safety. Such placement shall be reviewed by the attending
  110  physician or a designee or on-call physician each day and
  111  documented in the case record.
  112         (3)Within 1 court working day after a petition for
  113  involuntary services has been filed, the court shall appoint a
  114  public defender to represent the person who is the subject of
  115  the petition, unless the person is otherwise represented by
  116  counsel. The clerk of the court must immediately notify the
  117  public defender of the appointment. The public defender shall
  118  represent the person until the petition is dismissed, the court
  119  order expires, or the patient is discharged from involuntary
  120  services. The attorney who represents the patient must be
  121  provided access to the patient, witnesses, and records relevant
  122  to the presentation of the patient’s case and shall represent
  123  the interests of the patient, regardless of the course of
  124  payment to the attorney.
  125         Section 3. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) and subsection
  126  (4) of section 394.4625, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
  127         394.4625 Voluntary admissions.—
  128         (1) AUTHORITY TO RECEIVE PATIENTS.—
  129         (a) A facility may receive for observation, diagnosis, or
  130  treatment any person 18 years of age or older making application
  131  to the facility by express and informed consent for admission or
  132  any person age 17 or under for whom such application is made by
  133  his or her parent or legal guardian. If found to show evidence
  134  of mental illness, to be competent to provide express and
  135  informed consent, and to be suitable for treatment, such person
  136  18 years of age or older may be admitted to the facility.
  137         1.Within 24 hours after a person age 17 or under is
  138  admitted for observation, diagnosis, or treatment or transferred
  139  to voluntary status pursuant to subsection (4), except when the
  140  minor, the parent or legal guardian of the minor, and the
  141  psychiatrist or physician observing, diagnosing, or treating the
  142  minor all agree in writing that treatment is in the best
  143  interest of the minor, the administrator of the facility shall
  144  file with the court in the county where such person is located a
  145  petition for voluntary placement. Such petition shall include
  146  all forms and information as required by the department,
  147  including, but not limited to, the application for voluntary
  148  admission or application to transfer to voluntary status; the
  149  express and informed consent of the person age 17 or under and
  150  his or her parent or legal guardian to admission for treatment;
  151  certification that the disclosures required under s. 394.459 to
  152  obtain such express and informed consent were communicated to
  153  the person and his or her parent or legal guardian; and
  154  pertinent demographic information about the person and his or
  155  her parent or legal guardian, including whether a parenting plan
  156  in a final judgment of dissolution of marriage or a final
  157  judgment of paternity has been entered, whether the parent or
  158  legal guardian is authorized to make health care decisions on
  159  behalf of the person, and certification that a copy of the final
  160  judgment or other document that establishes the authority of the
  161  parent or legal guardian has been or will be provided to the
  162  court. Upon filing, the clerk of the court shall provide copies
  163  to the department, to the person age 17 or under, and to his or
  164  her parent or legal guardian. A fee may not be charged for the
  165  filing of a petition under this subparagraph.
  166         2.Unless a continuance is granted, a court shall hold a
  167  hearing within 5 court working days after a person age 17 or
  168  under is may be admitted only after a hearing to verify that the
  169  voluntariness of the consent to admission is voluntary.
  170         (4) TRANSFER TO VOLUNTARY STATUS.—An involuntary patient
  171  who is 18 years of age or older and who applies to be
  172  transferred to voluntary status, or an involuntary patient who
  173  is age 17 or under and whose parent or legal guardian has made
  174  application on his or her behalf to transfer to voluntary
  175  status, shall be transferred to voluntary status immediately,
  176  unless the patient has been charged with a crime, or has been
  177  involuntarily placed for treatment by a court pursuant to s.
  178  394.467 and continues to meet the criteria for involuntary
  179  placement. Within 24 hours after transfer to voluntary status of
  180  a person age 17 or under, except when the minor, the parent or
  181  legal guardian of the minor, and the psychiatrist or physician
  182  observing, diagnosing, or treating the minor all agree in
  183  writing that treatment is in the best interest of the minor, the
  184  administrator of the facility shall file a petition in
  185  accordance with subparagraph (1)(a)1. A court shall hold a
  186  hearing within 5 court working days after receiving a petition
  187  for voluntary placement for a patient age 17 or under to verify
  188  that the consent to remain in the facility is voluntary. When
  189  transfer to voluntary status occurs, notice shall be given as
  190  provided in s. 394.4599.
  191         Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section
  192  394.499, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
  193         394.499 Integrated children’s crisis stabilization
  194  unit/juvenile addictions receiving facility services.—
  195         (2) Children eligible to receive integrated children’s
  196  crisis stabilization unit/juvenile addictions receiving facility
  197  services include:
  198         (a) A person under 18 years of age for whom voluntary
  199  application is made by his or her parent or legal guardian, if
  200  such person is found to show evidence of mental illness and to
  201  be suitable for treatment pursuant to s. 394.4625. The
  202  administrator of the facility shall file a petition for
  203  voluntary placement, pursuant to s. 394.4625, within 24 hours
  204  after a person under 18 years of age is admitted for integrated
  205  facility services. Unless a continuance is granted, a court
  206  shall hold a hearing within 5 court working days after a person
  207  under 18 years of age is may be admitted for integrated facility
  208  services only after a hearing to verify that the consent to
  209  admission is voluntary.
  210         Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.