By: Moncrief S.B. No. 1439
99S0831/1
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the timeliness of medical examinations for mental
1-2 illness for certain court-ordered mental health services.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 574.009, Health and
1-5 Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
1-6 (a) A hearing on an application for court-ordered mental
1-7 health services may not be held unless there are on file with the
1-8 court at least two certificates of medical examination for mental
1-9 illness completed by different physicians each of whom has examined
1-10 the proposed patient during the preceding 45 [30] days. At least
1-11 one of the physicians must be a psychiatrist if a psychiatrist is
1-12 available in the county.
1-13 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-14 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
1-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.