Bill Text: IA HF510 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the transportation of persons with a substance-related disorder or a mental illness. (Formerly HF 251)
Sponsorship: Committee Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-09 - Referred to Human Resources. S.J. 835. [HF510 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF510-Introduced.html
House File 510 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES (SUCCESSOR TO HF 251) A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the transportation of persons with a 2 substance=related disorder or a mental illness. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1052HV (2) 86 rh/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 125.56 Transportation services. 1 2 1. A county may contract with a private entity to 1 3 appropriately transport any of the following persons: 1 4 a. A person admitted to a facility pursuant to section 1 5 125.33. 1 6 b. A person taken into custody pursuant to section 125.81 1 7 and court=ordered to a hospital or facility as described in 1 8 section 125.81, subsection 2, paragraph "b" or "c". 1 9 2. If the hospital or facility determines that a person 1 10 is in need of commitment or treatment at another hospital or 1 11 facility, such a private entity shall appropriately transport 1 12 the person to another hospital or facility. 1 13 3. A county's contract with such a private entity is 1 14 independent of the county's or a mental health and disability 1 15 services region's role as a provider of mental health services. 1 16 4. In contracting with a private entity, a county shall 1 17 include provisions to ensure all of the following: 1 18 a. The provision of trained personnel and the use of 1 19 appropriate vehicles for the safe and secure transportation 1 20 of respondents, which may include but is not limited to 1 21 vehicles equipped with a safety barrier between the driver and 1 22 patient, safety lock windows and doors, security cameras, and 1 23 appropriate medical equipment. 1 24 b. That the person's insurance carriers and other programs, 1 25 both public and private, that provide payment for such 1 26 transportation services are fully utilized to the maximum 1 27 extent possible. 1 28 5. A county shall implement a request for proposals process 1 29 to enter into a contract with a private entity for the purpose 1 30 of transporting a person pursuant to this section. 1 31 6. The departments of human services and public health, 1 32 in consultation with affected stakeholders including but not 1 33 limited to mental health and disability services regions, the 1 34 Iowa state association of counties, the Iowa state sheriffs' 1 35 and deputies' association, and other law enforcement agencies 2 1 in this state, shall adopt rules as necessary in accordance 2 2 with best practices for the implementation and administration 2 3 of this section. 2 4 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 229.46 Transportation services. 2 5 1. A mental health and disability services region, as 2 6 defined in section 225C.2, may contract with a private entity 2 7 to appropriately transport any of the following persons: 2 8 a. A person admitted to a public or private hospital 2 9 pursuant to section 229.2. 2 10 b. A person taken into custody pursuant to section 229.11 2 11 and court=ordered to a hospital or facility as described in 2 12 section 229.11, subsection 1, paragraph "b" or "c". 2 13 2. If the hospital or facility determines that a person 2 14 is in need of commitment or treatment at another hospital or 2 15 facility, such a private entity shall appropriately transport 2 16 the person to another hospital or facility. 2 17 3. A mental health and disability services region's 2 18 contract with such a private entity is independent of the 2 19 region's role as a provider of mental health services. 2 20 4. In contracting with a private entity, a region shall 2 21 include provisions to ensure all of the following: 2 22 a. The provision of trained personnel and the use of 2 23 appropriate vehicles for the safe and secure transportation 2 24 of respondents, which may include but is not limited to 2 25 vehicles equipped with a safety barrier between the driver and 2 26 patient, safety lock windows and doors, security cameras, and 2 27 appropriate medical equipment. 2 28 b. That the person's insurance carriers and other programs, 2 29 both public and private, that provide payment for such 2 30 transportation services are fully utilized to the maximum 2 31 extent possible. 2 32 5. A mental health and disability services region shall 2 33 implement a request for proposals process to enter into a 2 34 contract with a private entity for the purpose of transporting 2 35 a person pursuant to this section. 3 1 6. The departments of human services and public health, 3 2 in consultation with affected stakeholders including but not 3 3 limited to mental health and disability services regions, the 3 4 Iowa state association of counties, the Iowa state sheriffs' 3 5 and deputies' association, and other law enforcement agencies 3 6 in this state, shall adopt rules as necessary in accordance 3 7 with best practices for the implementation and administration 3 8 of this section. 3 9 EXPLANATION 3 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 11 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 12 This bill relates to the transportation of persons with a 3 13 substance=related disorder or a mental illness. 3 14 The bill directs a county or a mental health and disability 3 15 services region as defined in Code section 225C.2, as 3 16 appropriate, to contract with private entities to appropriately 3 17 transport a person who is admitted, on a voluntary basis, 3 18 to a facility or hospital under Code section 125.33 3 19 (substance=related disorders) or 229.2 (mental illness) or who 3 20 is the subject of an immediate involuntary custody order to 3 21 the nearest available facility licensed to care for persons 3 22 with substance abuse or mental illness or a public or private 3 23 hospital. If the facility or hospital determines that a person 3 24 is in need of commitment treatment at another facility or 3 25 hospital, the private entity is required to make arrangements 3 26 to appropriately transport the person to another facility 3 27 or hospital. A county's or a mental health and disability 3 28 services region's contract with a private entity is independent 3 29 of the county's or region's role as a provider of mental health 3 30 services. In contracting with a private entity, a county or 3 31 a mental health and disability services region is required 3 32 to include provisions relating to appropriately trained 3 33 personnel and the use of appropriate vehicles for the safe and 3 34 secure transportation of respondents, and fully utilizing the 3 35 respondents' insurance carriers and other programs, both public 4 1 and private, that provide payment for such transportation 4 2 services, to the maximum extent possible. 4 3 A county or a mental health and disability services region 4 4 is required to implement a request for proposals process to 4 5 enter into a contract with a private entity for the purpose of 4 6 transporting a person pursuant to the bill. The department of 4 7 human services and the department of public health may adopt 4 8 administrative rules to administer the bill's provisions. LSB 1052HV (2) 86 rh/rj
