Bill Text: NJ A3007 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires court order to transfer person awaiting hearing for involuntary commitment from private hospital to State psychiatric hospital.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-02-08 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Human Services Committee [A3007 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A3007-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires court order to transfer person awaiting hearing for involuntary commitment from private hospital to State psychiatric hospital.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning involuntary commitment to treatment and amending P.L.1987, c.116.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 10 of P.L.1987, c.116 (C.30:4-27.10) is amended to read as follows:
10. a. (1) A short-term care or psychiatric facility or a special psychiatric hospital shall initiate court proceedings for involuntary commitment to inpatient or outpatient treatment by submitting to the court a clinical certificate completed by a psychiatrist on the patient's treatment team and the screening certificate which authorized admission of the patient to the facility; provided, however, that both certificates shall not be signed by the same psychiatrist unless the psychiatrist has made a reasonable but unsuccessful attempt to have another psychiatrist conduct the evaluation and execute the certificate.
(2) A screening service or outpatient treatment provider shall initiate court proceedings for commitment to outpatient treatment by submitting to the court a clinical certificate completed by a psychiatrist on the patient's treatment team and the screening certificate which authorized assignment of the patient to outpatient treatment with the outpatient treatment provider; provided, however, that both certificates shall not be signed by the same psychiatrist unless the psychiatrist has made a reasonable but unsuccessful attempt to have another psychiatrist conduct the evaluation and execute the certificate.
b. Court proceedings for the involuntary commitment to treatment of any person not referred by a screening service may be initiated by the submission to the court of two clinical certificates, at least one of which is prepared by a psychiatrist. The person shall not be involuntarily committed before the court issues a temporary court order.
c. A court proceeding for involuntary commitment to treatment of an inmate who is scheduled for release upon expiration of a maximum term of incarceration shall be initiated by the Attorney General or county prosecutor by submission to the court of two clinical certificates, at least one of which is prepared by a psychiatrist.
d. The Attorney General, in exercise of the State's authority as parens patriae, may initiate a court proceeding for the involuntary commitment to treatment of any person in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsection a. or b. of this section. When the Attorney General determines that the public safety requires initiation of a proceeding pursuant to subsection b. of this section, the Attorney General may apply to the court for an order compelling the psychiatric evaluation of the person. The court shall grant the Attorney General's application if the court finds that there is reasonable cause to believe that the person may be in need of involuntary commitment to treatment. The Attorney General may delegate the authority granted pursuant to this subsection, on a case by case basis, to the county prosecutor.
e. Any person who is a relative by blood or marriage of the person being screened who executes a clinical certificate, or any person who signs a clinical certificate for any purpose or motive other than for purposes of care, treatment and confinement of a person in need of involuntary commitment to treatment, shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.
f. Upon receiving these documents the court shall immediately review them in order to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the person is in need of involuntary commitment to treatment.
g. If the court finds that there is probable cause to believe that the person, other than a person whose commitment is sought pursuant to subsection c. of this section, is in need of involuntary commitment to treatment, it shall issue a temporary order authorizing the assignment of the person to an outpatient treatment provider or the admission to or retention of the person in the custody of the facility, that is both appropriate to the person's condition and is the least restrictive environment, pending a final hearing.
If the person is admitted to or retained in a private hospital licensed by the Department of Health to provide mental health services pending the final hearing, the person shall not be transferred to a State psychiatric facility listed in R.S.30:1-7 unless the court has issued an order transferring the person to a State psychiatric facility.
h. If the court finds that there is probable cause to believe that a person whose commitment is sought pursuant to subsection c. of this section is in need of involuntary commitment to treatment, it shall issue an order setting a date for a final hearing and authorizing the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections to arrange for temporary commitment pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1986, c.71 (C.30:4-82.2) to the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton or other facility designated for the criminally insane pending the final hearing and prior to the expiration of the person's term. The order shall specifically provide for transfer of custody to the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton or other facility designated for the criminally insane if the person's maximum term will expire prior to the final hearing.
i. In the case of a person committed to treatment at a short-term care facility or special psychiatric hospital, after the facility's treatment team conducts a mental and physical examination, administers appropriate treatment and prepares a discharge assessment, the facility may transfer the patient to a psychiatric facility prior to the final hearing; provided that: (1) the patient, his family and his attorney are given 24 hours' advance notice of the pending transfer; and (2) the transfer is accomplished in a manner which will give the receiving facility adequate time to examine the patient, become familiar with his behavior and condition and prepare for the hearing. In no event shall the transfer be made less than five days prior to the date of the hearing unless an unexpected transfer is dictated by a change in the person's clinical condition.
(cf: P.L.2009, c.112, s.11)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that if a person is admitted to or retained in a private hospital licensed to provide mental health services pending a final court hearing to determine whether the person needs involuntary commitment, the person shall not be transferred to a State psychiatric facility unless the court has issued an order transferring the person to a State psychiatric facility.
