A bill rewriting the Baker and Marchman Acts passes unanimously in the House Health Committee.
Congressman Pat Manny
On February 15, Florida lawmakers on the House Health and Human Services Committee asked their colleague, Rep. Pat Mane (R-Shalimar), to introduce a comprehensive bill on mental health and substance abuse before passing it unanimously. Submitted without asking any questions regarding the rewrite of HB 7021.
However, they would streamline court proceedings in cases of involuntary coercion of a person for mental health and substance abuse treatment under the Baker Act and Marchman Act, respectively, and increase patient access to those services. Some good things were said about the latest measures aimed at.
For example, Rep. Ralph Masullo, a Republican from Lecanto and a physician, praised Mayney's work.
“Judge, General, Congressman Manne, this has been your passion, I think, from the first day you walked through the doors of the Capitol,” Maslo said.
Mainey, a former Okaloosa County judge, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2020.
“And I remember when I was in your place, and you were sitting in a similar seat here. And I was introducing a bill on the Baker Act…and But from my personal experience as a judge, your passion to move this issue… was admirable,” Masloh said.
He added: “And I know you've worked very hard on this bill, and there's a lot of detail in that bill.'' It's so full of details to make your life better. [and] provider. ”
The bill has already been redacted, with previous versions replacing committees, and even after this rewrite, many more changes will likely be made before the bill goes to the full chamber, Mainey said. said.
“This is not the final bill,” Mainey said in his closing statement. “In the last 48 hours, people have called us with suggestions and the process has been too slow to consider them, but we will take them seriously.”
Mayney also said he expects further adjustments to be made in the future if his bill becomes law.
“There are other things that we have to deal with over the next year or two, but they're all part of this issue,” Money said. “This is a very complex system and a complex problem. And I'm going to continue to work on these problems with your help.”
Below are some of the amendments between the full strike proposal filed by Mr. Manny on February 15th and the previous committee replacement proposal approved by the House Health Appropriations Subcommittee on January 24th. .
- The rewrite creates the Office of the Child Behavioral Health Ombudsman within the Department of Children and Families to “take complaints on behalf of children and youth with behavioral health disorders who receive state-funded services, and use that information to… It will become a central base for improving the lives of children.” Mental health and treatment support system”
- This rewrite would require psychiatric nurses working with psychiatrists to obtain consent for treatment from the patient's parent advocate, document clinical records of voluntary patients, and direct emergency treatment. and admits to recommending involuntary service.
- The rewrite would require the Department and the Agency for Health Care Administration to transfer data on children undergoing involuntary testing and adults who are high users of crisis stabilization services to Luis de la Parte Florida Mental Health at the University of South Florida. It is requested that the information be provided to the research institute. The institute will analyze trends in the data and recommend ways to improve child services and avoid readmissions for adults. Previously, this was the purview of the State Department and government agencies.
- The rewrite states that in order for a patient to be eligible for involuntary outpatient treatment, he or she must receive “assistance” by a social worker, case manager, or court-appointed “willing, capable, and responsible individual.” “No,” he demands. Non-adherence to outpatient program. ”
Bernie Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance, a criminal justice reform group, told the Health and Human Services Committee that the latest version is “a great bill.”
“It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction,” Bishop said. “It’s so important that we do this now because mental health issues are becoming more serious by the day.”
Read the article on SB1784 in the Senate Companion.
Read Rep. Money's first article on the bill.
