SRC-JEC S.B. 1588 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1588
77R6015 CBH-DBy: Moncrief
Health & Human Services
3/30/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a person taken into police custody is only retained for 24
hours.  During that time, the person is required to receive both a medical
and psychiatric evaluation.  Often, the medical evaluation and treatment
takes up a considerable portion of the time, leaving insufficient time for
the psychiatric evaluation.  As proposed, S.B. 1588 extends the period of
time in which an individual in police custody can obtain a psychiatric
evaluation. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency.  

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 573.021(b), Health and Safety Code, to provide
that the 24-hour period allowed by this section includes any time the
patient spends waiting in the facility for medical care before the person
receives the preliminary examination.  Provides that the period does not
include any time during which the person is actually receiving necessary
medical care in the facility's emergency room or in another area of the
facility. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.