2018 -- S 2689 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC004877/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND

HOSPITALS

     

     Introduced By: Senator Erin Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 40.1-5-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 40.1-5 entitled "Mental

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Health Law" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     40.1-5-8. Civil court certification.

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     (a) Petitions. A verified petition may be filed in the district court, or family court in the

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case of a person who has not reached his or her eighteenth (18th) birthday, for the certification to

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a facility of any person who is alleged to be in need of care and treatment in a facility, and whose

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continued unsupervised presence in the community would create a likelihood of serious harm by

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reason of mental disability. The petition may be filed by any person with whom the subject of the

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petition may reside; or at whose house he or she may be; or the father or mother, husband or wife,

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brother or sister, or the adult child of any such person; the nearest relative if none of the above are

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available; or his or her guardian; or the attorney general; or a local director of public welfare; or

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the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals;

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the director of the department of human services; or the director of the department of corrections;

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the director of the department of health; the warden of the adult correctional institutions; the

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superintendent of the boys training school for youth, or his or her designated agent; or the director

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of any facility, or his or her designated agent, whether or not the person shall have been admitted

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and is a patient at the time of the petition. A petition under this section shall be filed only after the

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petitioner has investigated what alternatives to certification are available and determined why the

 

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alternatives are not deemed suitable.

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     (b) Contents of petition. The petition shall state that it is based upon a personal

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observation of the person concerned by the petitioner within a ten-day (10) period prior to filing.

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It shall include a description of the behavior that constitutes the basis for the petitioner's judgment

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that the person concerned is in need of care and treatment and that a likelihood of serious harm by

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reason of mental disability exists. In addition, the petitioner shall indicate what alternatives to

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certification are available; what alternatives have been investigated; and why the investigated

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alternatives are not deemed suitable.

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     (c) Certificates and contents thereof. A petition hereunder shall be accompanied by the

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certificates of two (2) physicians unless the petitioner is unable to afford, or is otherwise unable

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to obtain, the services of a physician or physicians qualified to make the certifications. The

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certificates shall be rendered pursuant to the provisions of § 40.1-5-5, except when the patient is a

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resident in a facility, the attending physician and one other physician from the facility may sign

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the certificates, and shall set forth that the prospective patient is in need of care and treatment in a

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facility and would likely benefit therefrom, and is one whose continued unsupervised presence in

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the community would create a likelihood of serious harm by reason of mental disability together

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with the reasons therefor. The petitions and accompanying certificates shall be executed under

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penalty of perjury, but shall not require the signature of a notary public thereon.

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     (d) Preliminary hearing.

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     (1) Upon a determination that the petition sets forth facts constituting reasonable grounds

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to support certification, the court shall summon the person to appear before the court at a

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preliminary hearing, scheduled no later than five (5) business days from the date of filing. This

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hearing shall be treated as a priority on the court calendar and may be continued only for good

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cause shown. In default of an appearance, the court may issue a warrant directing a police officer

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to bring the person before the court.

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     (2) At the preliminary hearing, the court shall serve a copy of the petition upon the person

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and advise him or her of the nature of the proceedings and of his or her right to counsel. If the

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person is unable to afford counsel, the court forthwith shall appoint the mental health advocate for

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him or her. If the court finds that there is no probable cause to support certification, the petition

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shall be dismissed, and the person shall be discharged unless the person applies for voluntary

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admission. However, if the court is satisfied by the testimony that there is probable cause to

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support certification, a final hearing shall be held not less than seven (7) days, nor more than

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twenty-one (21) days, after the preliminary hearing, unless continued at the request of counsel for

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the person, and notice of the date set down for the hearing shall be served on the person. Copies

 

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of the petition and notice of the date set down for the hearing shall also be served immediately

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upon the person's nearest relatives or legal guardian, if known, and to any other person designated

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by the patient, in writing, to receive copies of notices. The preliminary hearing can be waived by

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a motion of the patient to the court if the patient is a resident of a facility.

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     (e) Petition for examination.

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     (1) Upon motion of either the petitioner or the person, or upon its own motion, the court

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may order that the person be examined by a psychiatrist appointed by the court. The examination

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may be conducted on an outpatient basis and the person shall have the right to the presence of

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counsel while it is being conducted. A report of the examination shall be furnished to the court,

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the petitioner, and the person and his or her counsel at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the

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hearing.

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     (2) If the petition is submitted without two (2) physicians' certificates as required under

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subsection (c), the petition shall be accompanied by a motion for a psychiatric examination to be

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ordered by the court. The motion shall be heard on the date of the preliminary hearing set by the

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court pursuant to subsection (d), or as soon thereafter as counsel for the subject person is

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engaged, appointed, and ready to proceed. The motion shall be verified or accompanied by

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affidavits and shall set forth facts demonstrating the efforts made to secure examination and

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certification by a physician or physicians and shall indicate the reasons why the efforts failed.

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     (3) After considering the motion and such testimony as may be offered on the date of

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hearing the motion, the court may deny the application and dismiss the petition, or upon finding:

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(i) That there is a good cause for the failure to obtain one or more physician's certificates in

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accordance with subsection (c); and (ii) That there is probable cause to substantiate the

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allegations of the petition, the court shall order an immediate examination by two (2) qualified

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psychiatrists, pursuant to subsection (e)(1).

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     (f) Professional assistance. A person with respect to whom a court hearing has been

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ordered under this section shall have, and be informed of, a right to employ a mental health

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professional of his or her choice to assist him or her in connection with the hearing and to testify

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on his or her behalf. If the person cannot afford to engage such a professional, the court shall, on

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application, allow a reasonable fee for the purpose.

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     (g) Procedure. Upon receipt of the required certificates and/or psychiatric reports as

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applicable hereunder, the court shall schedule the petition for final hearing unless, upon review of

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the reports and certificates, the court concludes that the certificates and reports do not indicate,

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with supporting reasons, that the person who is the subject of the petition is in need of care and

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treatment; that his or her unsupervised presence in the community would create a likelihood of

 

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serious harm by reason of mental disability; and that all alternatives to certification have been

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investigated and are unsuitable, in which event the court may dismiss the petition.

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     (h) Venue. An application for certification under this section shall be made to, and all

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proceedings pursuant thereto shall be conducted in, the district court, or family court in the case

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of a person who has not yet reached his or her eighteenth (18th) birthday, of the division or

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county in which the subject of an application may reside or may be, or when the person is already

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a patient in a facility, in the district court or family court of the division or county in which the

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facility is located, subject, however, to application by any interested party for change of venue

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because of inconvenience of the parties or witnesses or the condition of the subject of the petition

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or other valid judicial reason for the change of venue.

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     (i) Hearing. A hearing scheduled under this section shall be conducted pursuant to the

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following requirements:

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     (1) All evidence shall be presented according to the usual rules of evidence that apply in

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civil, non-jury cases. The subject of the proceedings shall have the right to present evidence in his

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or her own behalf and to cross examine all witnesses against him or her, including any physician

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who has completed a certificate or filed a report as provided hereunder. The subject of the

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proceedings shall have the further right to subpoena witnesses and documents, the cost of such to

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be borne by the court where the court finds, upon an application of the subject that the person

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cannot afford to pay for the cost of subpoenaing witnesses and documents.

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     (2) A verbatim transcript or electronic recording shall be made of the hearing that shall be

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impounded and obtained or examined only with the consent of the subject thereof (or in the case

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of a person who has not yet attained his or her eighteenth (18th) birthday, his or her parent,

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guardian, or next of kin) or by order of the court.

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     (3) The hearing may be held at a location other than a court, including any facility where

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the subject may currently be a patient, where it appears to the court that holding the hearing at

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another location would be in the best interests of the subject thereof.

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     (4) The burden of proceeding and the burden of proof in a hearing held pursuant to this

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section shall be upon the petitioner. The petitioner has the burden of demonstrating that the

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subject of the hearing is in need of care and treatment in a facility, is one whose continued

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unsupervised presence in the community would create a likelihood of serious harm by reason of

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mental disability, and what alternatives to certification are available, what alternatives to

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certification were investigated, and why these alternatives were not deemed suitable.

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     (5) The court shall render a decision within forty-eight (48) hours after the hearing is

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concluded.

 

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     (j) Order. If the court at a final hearing finds by clear and convincing evidence that the

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subject of the hearing is in need of care and treatment in a facility, and is one whose continued

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unsupervised presence in the community would, by reason of mental disability, create a

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likelihood of serious harm, and that all alternatives to certification have been investigated and

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deemed unsuitable, it shall issue an order committing the person to the custody of the director for

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care and treatment or to an appropriate facility. In either event, and to the extent practicable, the

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person shall be cared for in a facility that imposes the least restraint upon the liberty of the person

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consistent with affording him or her the care and treatment necessary and appropriate to his or her

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condition. No certification shall be made under this section unless and until full consideration has

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been given by the certifying court to the alternatives to in-patient care, including, but not limited

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to, a determination of the person's relationship to the community and to his or her family, of his

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or her employment possibilities, and of all available community resources, alternate available

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living arrangements, foster care, community residential facilities, nursing homes, and other

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convalescent facilities. A certificate ordered pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period of

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six (6) months from the date of the order. At the end of that period the patient shall be discharged,

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unless he or she is discharged prior to that time, in which case the certification shall expire on the

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date of the discharge.

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     (k) Appeals.

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     (1) A person certified under this section shall have a right to appeal from a final hearing

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to the supreme court of the state within thirty (30) days of the entry of an order of certification.

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The person shall have the right to be represented on appeal by counsel of his or her choice or by

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the mental health advocate if the supreme court finds that he or she cannot afford to retain

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counsel. Upon a showing of indigency, the supreme court shall permit an appeal to proceed

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without payment of costs, and a copy of the transcript of the proceedings below shall be furnished

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to the subject of the proceedings, or to his or her attorney, at the expense of the state. The

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certifying court shall advise the person of all his or her rights pursuant to this section immediately

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upon the entry of an order of certification.

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     (2) Appeals under this section shall be given precedence, insofar as practicable, on the

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supreme court dockets. The district and family courts shall promulgate rules with the approval of

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the supreme court to insure the expeditious transmission of the record and transcript in all appeals

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pursuant to this chapter.

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     (l) Submission to NICS database.

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     (1) The district court shall submit the name, date of birth, gender, race or ethnicity, and

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date of civil commitment to the NICS database of all persons subject to a civil court certification

 

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order pursuant to this section within forty-eight (48) hours of certification.

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     (2) Any person affected by the provisions of this section, after the lapse of a period of

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three (3) years from the date such civil certification is terminated, shall have the right to appear

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before the relief from disqualifiers board.

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     (3) Upon notice of a successful appeal pursuant to § 40.1-5-8(k), the district court shall,

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as soon as practicable, cause the appellant's record to be updated, corrected, modified, or removed

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from any database maintained and made available to the National Instant Criminal Background

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Check System (NICS) and reflect that the appellant is no longer subject to a firearms prohibition

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as it relates to 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(4) and 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(4).

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     (m) Equitable authority. In addition to the powers heretofore exercised, the district and

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family courts are hereby empowered, in furtherance of their jurisdiction under this chapter,

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petitions for instructions for the provision or withholding of treatment as justice and equity may

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require.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND

HOSPITALS

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     This act would grant the district and family courts the explicit statutory authority to issue

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equitable orders incidental to their adjudication of matters falling within their jurisdiction under

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this chapter.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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