Delaware House Bill 8 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-6)
Status: Passed on April 23 2015 - 100% progression
Action: 2015-04-23 - Signed by Governor
Text: Latest bill text (Draft #1) [HTML]

During the 147th General Assembly, House Bill 346 was signed into law. House Bill 346, which codified the work of the HJR 17 Study Group to comprehensively update the state civil mental health laws, created a definition of psychiatrist which specifically names one accredited residency program. There is at least one psychiatrist in Delaware who completed a different accredited residency program. This legislation amends the definition of psychiatrist to include a doctor who has completed an accredited residency training program in psychiatry so that all psychiatrists can act under this statute. Also, the statute limits credentialed mental health screeners to physicians licensed by the State of Delaware. Doctors at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Delaware often are licensed in other states but permitted by federal law to practice at a Veterans Affairs facility. This legislation amends the definition of credentialed mental health screener to include Veterans Affairs doctors working in Delaware. This will allow Veterans Affairs doctors to hold patients for involuntary observation and treatment of mental conditions.

An Act To Amend Title 16 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Involuntary Commitment Of Persons With Mental Conditions.

Rep. Michael Barbieri [D]	Sen. Bethany Hall-Long [D]	Rep. William Carson [D]	Rep. Debra Heffernan [D]
Rep. Deborah Hudson [R]	Rep. Helene Keeley [D]	Rep. Sean Lynn [D]	Rep. Sean Matthews [D]
Rep. Joseph Miro [R]	Rep. John Mitchell [D]	Rep. Michael Ramone [R]	Rep. Bryon Short [D]
Rep. Stephen Smyk [R]	Rep. Jeffrey Spiegelman [R]	Rep. John Viola [D]	Sen. Bruce Ennis [D]
Sen. Ernesto Lopez [R]

2015-03-26 - Senate - Senate Third Reading (Y: 18 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 3) [PASS]
2015-01-27 - House - House Third Reading (Y: 40 N: 0 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2015-04-23	House	Signed by Governor
2015-03-26	Senate	Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 18 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 3 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2015-03-25	Senate	Reported Out of Committee (HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits
2015-01-27	Senate	Assigned to Health & Social Services Committee in Senate
2015-01-27	House	Passed by House of Representatives. Votes: Passed 40 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 1 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2015-01-21	House	Reported Out of Committee (HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT) in House with 10 On Its Merits
2015-01-20	House	Introduced and Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House

Type	Source
Summary	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/2bede841c6272c888025698400433a04/a06d58181eafd5f585257dcc005935a0?OpenDocument
Text	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/vwLegislation/HB+8/$file/legis.html?open
Roll Call	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/7712cf7cc0e9227a852568470077336f/df20f62a9226dba885257dda007600c7?OpenDocument
Roll Call	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/7712cf7cc0e9227a852568470077336f/b8c802a003bc581e85257e140064256b?OpenDocument