Bill Text: TX HB2938 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the authority of the commissioners court of a county to employ attorneys as mental health public defenders and to the reimbursement of an attorney who represents an indigent proposed patient in certain mental health proceedings.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-23 - Left pending in committee [HB2938 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB2938-Introduced.html
86R12000 EAS-F | ||
By: Hinojosa | H.B. No. 2938 |
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relating to the authority of the commissioners court of a county to | ||
employ attorneys as mental health public defenders and to the | ||
reimbursement of an attorney who represents an indigent proposed | ||
patient in certain mental health proceedings. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 571, Health and Safety Code, is amended | ||
by adding Sections 571.0168 and 571.0169 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 571.0168. MENTAL HEALTH PUBLIC DEFENDERS. The | ||
commissioners court of a county may employ attorneys as mental | ||
health public defenders to provide proposed patients with legal | ||
representation in a proceeding under Chapter 574. | ||
Sec. 571.0169. REPRESENTATION OF PROPOSED PATIENT. The | ||
court may appoint a mental health public defender described by | ||
Section 571.0168, a public defender other than a mental health | ||
public defender, or a private attorney to represent a proposed | ||
patient in any proceeding under Chapter 574. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 574.010(b), Health and Safety Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) If the court determines that the proposed patient is | ||
indigent, the court may authorize reimbursement to the attorney | ||
representing the proposed patient [ |
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expenses incurred in obtaining expert testimony and may order the | ||
proposed patient's county of residence to pay the expenses. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |