Bill Text: HI SB1509 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Forensic Mental Health Examination Reports; Confidentiality

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-12-01 - Carried over to 2012 Regular Session. [SB1509 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB1509-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1509
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH EXAMINATION REPORTS.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to amend the law governing the reports of examinations of defendants with respect to physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect, fitness to proceed, and penal responsibility to ensure the reports' confidentiality and to require that the reports be provided to the director of health.

     SECTION 2.  Section 704-404, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§704-404  Examination of defendant with respect to physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect.  (1)  Whenever the defendant has filed a notice of intention to rely on the defense of physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect excluding responsibility, or there is reason to doubt the defendant's fitness to proceed, or reason to believe that the physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect of the defendant will or has become an issue in the case, the court may immediately suspend all further proceedings in the prosecution.  If a trial jury has been empanelled, it shall be discharged or retained at the discretion of the court.  The discharge of the trial jury shall not be a bar to further prosecution.

     (2)  Upon suspension of further proceedings in the prosecution, the court shall appoint three qualified examiners in felony cases and one qualified examiner in nonfelony cases to examine and report upon the physical and mental condition of the defendant.  In felony cases the court shall appoint at least one psychiatrist and at least one licensed psychologist.  The third member may be a psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, or qualified physician.  One of the three shall be a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist designated by the director of health from within the department of health.  In nonfelony cases the court may appoint either a psychiatrist or a licensed psychologist.  All examiners shall be appointed from a list of certified examiners as determined by the department of health.  The court, in appropriate circumstances, may appoint an additional examiner or examiners.  The examination may be conducted on an out-patient basis or, in the court's discretion, when necessary the court may order the defendant to be committed to a hospital or other suitable facility for the purpose of the examination for a period not exceeding thirty days, or such longer period as the court determines to be necessary for the purpose.  The court may direct that one or more qualified physicians or psychologists retained by the defendant be permitted to witness the examination.  As used in this section, the term "licensed psychologist" includes psychologists exempted from licensure by section 465-3(a)(3).

     (3)  An examination performed under this section may employ any method that is accepted by the professions of medicine or psychology for the examination of those alleged to be affected by a physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect; provided that each examiner shall form and render diagnoses and opinions upon the physical and mental condition of the defendant independently from the other examiners, and the examiners, upon approval of the court, may secure the services of clinical psychologists and other medical or paramedical specialists to assist in the examination and diagnosis.

     (4)  The report of the examination shall include the following:

    (a)   A description of the nature of the examination;

    (b)   A diagnosis of the physical or mental condition of the defendant;

    (c)   An opinion as to the defendant's capacity to understand the proceedings against the defendant and to assist in the defendant's own defense;

    (d)   An opinion as to the extent, if any, to which the capacity of the defendant to appreciate the wrongfulness of the defendant's conduct or to conform the defendant's conduct to the requirements of law was impaired at the time of the conduct alleged;

    (e)   When directed by the court, an opinion as to the capacity of the defendant to have a particular state of mind that is required to establish an element of the offense charged; and

    (f)   Where more than one examiner is appointed, a statement that the diagnosis and opinion rendered were arrived at independently of any other examiner, unless there is a showing to the court of a clear need for communication between or among the examiners for clarification.  A description of the communication shall be included in the report.  After all reports are submitted to the court, examiners may confer without restriction.

     (5)  If the examination cannot be conducted by reason of the unwillingness of the defendant to participate therein, the report shall so state and shall include, if possible, an opinion as to whether such unwillingness of the defendant was the result of physical or mental disease, disorder, or defect.

     (6)  [Three] Four copies of the report of the examination, including any supporting documents, shall be filed with the clerk of the court, who shall cause copies to be delivered to the prosecuting attorney and to counsel for the defendant.

     (7)  Any examiner shall be permitted to make a separate explanation reasonably serving to clarify the examiner's diagnosis or opinion.

     (8)  The court shall obtain all existing medical, mental health, social, police, and juvenile records, including those expunged, and other pertinent records in the custody of public agencies, notwithstanding any other statutes, and make such records available for inspection by the examiners.  If, pursuant to this section, the court orders the defendant committed to a hospital or other suitable facility under the control of the director of health, then the clerk of the court shall cause the third copy of the report filed under subsection (6) along with all dispositive orders and any available supporting documents, to be delivered to the director of health and the county police departments shall provide to the director of health and the defendant copies of all police reports from cases filed against the defendant which have been adjudicated by the acceptance of a plea of guilty or no contest, a finding of guilt, acquittal, acquittal pursuant to section 704-400, or by the entry of plea of guilty or no contest made pursuant to chapter 853, so long as the disclosure to the director of health and the defendant does not frustrate a legitimate function of the county police departments, with the exception of expunged records, records of or pertaining to any adjudication or disposition rendered in the case of a juvenile, or records containing data from the United States National Crime Information Center.  The county police departments shall segregate or sanitize from the police reports information that would result in the likelihood or actual identification of individuals who furnished information in connection with its investigation, or who were of investigatory interest.  Records shall not be re-disclosed except to the extent permitted by law.  As used in this subsection, the term "dispositive orders" includes any orders that affect the legal status of the defendant, including orders for examination, orders finding defendant fit to proceed, orders finding defendant unfit to proceed, orders acquitting defendant pursuant to section 704-411, orders concerning discharge, conditional release and modification of conditional release, after acquittal and commitment pursuant to sections 704-412, 704-413, 704-414, and 704-415, and orders of civil commitment in lieu of prosecution or sentence pursuant to section 706-607.

     (9)  The compensation of persons making or assisting in the examination, other than those retained by the nonindigent defendant, who are not undertaking the examination upon designation by the director of health as part of their normal duties as employees of the State or a county, shall be paid by the State.

     (10)  Except as provided in this section, or by court order allowing disclosure of mental health examination reports to persons or entities other than those identified in this section, all mental health examination reports submitted to the court pursuant to section 704-404, including the original report, shall be kept confidential and shall not be disclosed by any person.  The court may direct disclosure of a mental health examination report or reports to persons or entities other than those identified in this section upon its determination that disclosure is necessary for the conduct of proceedings before it and that failure to make the disclosure would be contrary to the public interest."

     SECTION 3.  Section 704-411, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (3) to read as follows:

     "(3)  When ordering a hearing pursuant to subsection (2):

    (a)   In nonfelony cases, the court shall appoint a qualified examiner to examine and report upon the physical and mental condition of the defendant.  The court may appoint either a psychiatrist or a licensed psychologist.  The examiner may be designated by the director of health from within the department of health.  The examiner shall be appointed from a list of certified examiners as determined by the department of health.  The court, in appropriate circumstances, may appoint an additional examiner or examiners; and

    (b)   In felony cases, the court shall appoint three qualified examiners to examine and report upon the physical and mental condition of the defendant.  In each case, the court shall appoint at least one psychiatrist and at least one licensed psychologist.  The third member may be a psychiatrist, a licensed psychologist, or a qualified physician.  One of the three shall be a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist designated by the director of health from within the department of health.  The three examiners shall be appointed from a list of certified examiners as determined by the department of health.

To facilitate the examination and the proceedings thereon, the court may cause the defendant, if not then confined, to be committed to a hospital or other suitable facility for the purpose of examination for a period not exceeding thirty days or such longer period as the court determines to be necessary for the purpose upon written findings for good cause shown.  The court may direct that qualified physicians or psychologists retained by the defendant be permitted to witness the examination.  The examination and report and the compensation of persons making or assisting in the examination shall be in accord with section 704-404(3), (4)(a) and (b), (6), (7), (8), [and] (9)[.], and (10).  As used in this section, the term "licensed psychologist" includes psychologists exempted from licensure by section 465-3(a)(3)."

     SECTION 4.  Section 704-414, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§704-414  Procedure upon application for discharge, conditional release, or modification of conditions of release.  Upon filing of an application pursuant to section 704-412 for discharge or conditional release, or upon the filing of an application pursuant to section 704-413 for discharge or for modification of conditions of release, the court shall appoint three qualified examiners in felony cases and one qualified examiner in nonfelony cases to examine and report upon the physical and mental condition of the defendant.  In felony cases the court shall appoint at least one psychiatrist and at least one licensed psychologist.  The third member may be a psychiatrist, a licensed psychologist, or a qualified physician.  One of the three shall be a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist designated by the director of health from within the department of health.  The examiners shall be appointed from a list of certified examiners as determined by the department of health.  To facilitate the examination and the proceedings thereon, the court may cause the defendant, if not then confined, to be committed to a hospital or other suitable facility for the purpose of the examination and may direct that qualified physicians or psychologists retained by the defendant be permitted to witness the examination.  The examination and report and the compensation of persons making or assisting in the examination shall be in accord with section 704-404(3), (4)(a) and (b), (6), (7), (8), [and] (9)[.], and (10).  As used in this section, the term "licensed psychologist" includes psychologists exempted from licensure by section 465-3(a)(3)."

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Forensic Mental Health Examination Reports; Confidentiality

 

Description:

Requires courts to give copies of orders and mental health examination reports to the director of health when defendant is committed by court order.  Specifies that mental health examination reports are confidential, subject to certain exceptions.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.