HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1156

THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023

H.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HEALTH.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Authorize psychiatrists or advanced practice registered nurses, after examination of a person for assisted community treatment indication, to request the director of health to file an assisted community treatment petition;

     (2)  Authorize interested parties to request the director of health to file an assisted community treatment petition on behalf of the interested party;

     (3)  Authorize the family court to use online hearings for assisted community treatment petitions;

     (4)  Require the department of health to report to the legislature prior to the regular session of 2025 on the number of requests for petitions for assisted community treatment submitted to the director of health; and

     (5)  Appropriate funds to the judiciary.

     SECTION 2.  Section 334-121.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§334-121.5[]]  Examination for assisted community treatment indication.  A licensed psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority and who holds an accredited national certification in an advanced practice registered nurse psychiatric specialization associated with the licensed psychiatric facility where a person is located who was committed to involuntary hospitalization, delivered for emergency examination or emergency hospitalization, or voluntarily admitted to inpatient treatment at a psychiatric facility pursuant to part IV shall, [prior to] before the person's discharge, examine the person to determine whether an assisted community treatment plan is indicated pursuant to this part.  If a plan is indicated, the psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse shall prepare the certificate specified by section 334-123[.] or request the director to file a petition under section 334-123 and assist with the certificate specified by section 334-123.  The psychiatric facility may notify another mental health program for assistance with the coordination of care in the community for the person.  Nothing in this section shall delay the appropriate discharge of a person from the psychiatric facility after the examination for assisted community treatment indication has been completed."

     SECTION 3.  Section 334-123, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§334-123  Initiation of proceeding for assisted community treatment.  (a)  Any interested party may file, or request the director to file, a petition with the family court alleging that another person meets the criteria for assisted community treatment.  The interested party shall be responsible for providing information to the director to support the petition.  The director shall review the request as expeditiously as possible upon receipt of the request and, if the request satisfies the requirements of subsection (b), shall file a petition to request assisted community treatment within      days of the request.  The interested party shall have the right to bring a petition on their own behalf if the director has not filed a petition within      days.

     (b)  The petition shall state:

     (1)  Each of the criteria under section 334-121 for assisted community treatment;

     (2)  Petitioner's good faith belief that the subject of the petition meets each of the criteria under section 334-121;

     (3)  Facts that support the petitioner's good faith belief that the subject of the petition meets each of the criteria under section 334-121; and

     (4)  That the subject of the petition is present within the county where the petition is filed.

     The hearing on the petition need not be limited to the facts stated in the petition.  The petition shall be executed subject to the penalties of perjury but need not be sworn to before a notary public.

     [(b)] (c)  The petition may be accompanied by a certificate of a licensed psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority and who holds an accredited national certification in an advanced practice registered nurse psychiatric specialization who has examined the subject of the petition within twenty calendar days [prior to] before the filing of the petition.  For purposes of the petition, an examination shall be considered valid so long as the licensed psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority and who holds an accredited national certification in an advanced practice registered nurse psychiatric specialization has obtained enough information from the subject of the petition to reach a diagnosis of the subject of the petition, and to express a professional opinion concerning the same, even if the subject of the petition is not fully cooperative.  If the petitioner believes that further evaluation is necessary before treatment, the petitioner may request further evaluation.

     [(c)] (d)  The petition shall include the name, address, and telephone number of at least one of the following persons in the following order of priority:  the subject of the petition's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, legal parents, adult children, and legal guardian, if one has been appointed.  If the subject of the petition has no living spouse or reciprocal beneficiary, legal parent, adult children, or legal guardian, or if none can be found, the petition shall include the name, address, and telephone number of at least one of the subject's closest adult relatives, if any can be found."

     SECTION 4.  Section 334-124, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§334-124  Hearing date.  The family court shall set a hearing date on a petition, and any subsequent hearing dates for the petition, as soon as possible."

     SECTION 5.  Section 334-126, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

     "(c)  Hearings may be held at any convenient place within the circuit.  The subject of the petition, any interested party, or the family court upon its own motion may request a hearing in another court because of inconvenience to the parties, witnesses, or the family court or because of the subject's physical or mental condition.  The court may use online hearings to accommodate the needs of the parties and witnesses, in accordance with family court rules.

     (d)  The hearing shall be closed to the public, unless the subject of the petition requests otherwise.  Individuals entitled to notice are entitled to be present in the courtroom or other approved location for the hearing and to receive a copy of the hearing transcript or recording, unless the court determines that the interests of justice require otherwise."

     SECTION 6.  Section 334-127, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  If after hearing all relevant evidence, including the results of any diagnostic examination ordered by the family court, the family court finds that the criteria for assisted community treatment under section 334-121(1) have been met beyond a reasonable doubt and that the criteria under section 334-121(2) to [334-121](4) have been met by clear and convincing evidence, the family court shall order the subject to obtain assisted community treatment for a period of no more than one year.  The written treatment plan submitted pursuant to section 334-126(g) shall be attached to the order and made a part of the order.

     If the family court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the beneficial mental and physical effects of recommended medication outweigh the detrimental mental and physical effects, if any, the order may authorize types or classes of medication to be included in treatment at the discretion of the treating psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority and who holds an accredited national certification in an advanced practice registered nurse psychiatric specialization.

     The court order shall also state who should receive notice of intent to discharge early in the event that the treating psychiatrist or advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority and who holds an accredited national certification in an advanced practice registered nurse psychiatric specialization determines, [prior to] before the end of the [court ordered] court-ordered period of treatment, that the subject should be discharged early from assisted community treatment.

     Notice of the order shall be provided to the director, the interested party who filed or requested the petition, and those persons entitled to notice pursuant to section 334-125."

     SECTION 7.  Section 334-131, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  The notice shall be filed with the family court [which] that issued the order for assisted community treatment, and served by personal service or by certified mail on the interested party who filed or requested the petition and those persons whom the order for assisted community treatment specifies as entitled to receive notice."

     SECTION 8.  Section 334-133, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsection (a) to read:

     "(a)  Before the expiration of the period of assisted community treatment ordered by the family court, any interested party may file, or may request the director to file, a petition with the family court for an order of continued assisted community treatment.  The petition shall be filed, and unless the court determines the existence of a guardian, a guardian ad litem appointed, and notice provided in the same manner as under sections 334-123 and 334-125."

     2.  By amending subsection (c) to read:

     "(c)  Nothing in this section shall preclude the subject's stipulation to the continuance of an existing [court] order.  This section shall be in addition to the provisions on the objection to discharge."

     SECTION 9.  The department of health shall submit a report on the number of requests for petitions for assisted community treatment submitted to the director of health since July 1, 2023, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2025.

     SECTION 10.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the judiciary to obtain applicable resources to effectuate this Act, including additional judge positions and increased compensation for guardians ad litem appointed to assisted community treatment cases.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the judiciary for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 11.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 12.  This Act shall take effect on June 30, 2050.

 

 

Report Title:

Assisted Community Treatment; Petitions; DOH; Judiciary; Report; Appropriation

 

Description:

Authorizes psychiatrists, advanced practice registered nurses, and interested parties to request the Director of Health to file an assisted community treatment petition.  For requests that satisfy the criteria for assisted community treatment, requires the Director of Health to file a petition for assisted community treatment within a certain number of days.  Authorizes the Family Court to use online hearings for assisted community treatment petitions.  Requires the Department of Health to report to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2025 on the number of requests for petitions for assisted community treatment submitted to the Director of Health since July 1, 2023.  Appropriates funds.  Effective 6/30/2050.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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