By Thompson                                           H.B. No. 2094
       74R4176 DD-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to voluntary inpatient mental health services for certain
    1-3  persons.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Sections 572.001(a) and (d), Health and Safety
    1-6  Code, are amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (a)  A person 16 years of age or older or a person younger
    1-8  than 16 years of age who is or has been married may request
    1-9  admission to an inpatient mental health facility by filing a
   1-10  request with the administrator of the facility to which admission
   1-11  is requested.  The parent, managing conservator, or guardian of a
   1-12  person younger than 16 years of age who is not and has not been
   1-13  married may request the admission of the person to an inpatient
   1-14  mental health facility by filing a request with the administrator
   1-15  of the facility to which admission is requested.
   1-16        (d)  The administrator of an inpatient mental health facility
   1-17  may admit a minor who is 16 years of age or older or a person
   1-18  younger than 16 years of age who is or has been married to an
   1-19  inpatient mental health facility as a voluntary patient without the
   1-20  consent of the <minor's> parent, managing conservator, or guardian.
   1-21        SECTION 2.  Section 572.002, Health and Safety Code, is
   1-22  amended to read as follows:
   1-23        Sec. 572.002.  ADMISSION.  The facility administrator or the
   1-24  administrator's authorized, qualified designee may admit a person
    2-1  for whom a proper request for voluntary inpatient services is filed
    2-2  if the administrator or the designee determines:
    2-3              (1)  from a preliminary examination that the person has
    2-4  symptoms of mental illness and will benefit from the inpatient
    2-5  services;
    2-6              (2)  that the person has been informed of the person's
    2-7  rights as a voluntary patient; and
    2-8              (3)  that the admission was voluntarily agreed to:
    2-9                    (A)  by the person, if the person is:
   2-10                          (i)  16 years of age or older; or
   2-11                          (ii)  younger than 16 years of age and is
   2-12  or has been married; or<, if the person is younger than 16 years of
   2-13  age,>
   2-14                    (B)  by the person's parent, managing
   2-15  conservator, or guardian, if the person is younger than 16 years of
   2-16  age and is not and has not been married.
   2-17        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-22  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-23  passage, and it is so enacted.