83R9948 EES-F
 
  By: Coleman H.B. No. 3731
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the date of a hearing on an application for an order to
  authorize psychoactive medication for a person receiving inpatient
  mental health services.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 574.104, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsection
  (d-1) to read as follows:
         (d)  The hearing on an [the] application for an order to
  authorize psychoactive medication shall [may] be held:
               (1)  if the patient is under a court order for inpatient
  mental health services under this chapter or other law, not later
  than five business days after the filing of the application; or
               (2)  if an application for court-ordered mental health
  services under Section 574.034 or 574.035 has been filed for the
  patient:
                     (A)  on the date of a hearing on that [an]
  application; or
                     (B)  on a showing of good cause why the hearing
  cannot or should not be held on the date prescribed by Paragraph
  (A), [for court-ordered mental health services under Section
  574.034 or 574.035 but shall be held] not later than five business
  [30] days after the filing of the application for the order to
  authorize psychoactive medication.
         (d-1)  If the hearing is not held on the same day as the
  application for court-ordered mental health services under Section
  574.034 or 574.035 and the patient is transferred to a mental health
  facility in another county, the court may transfer the application
  for an order to authorize psychoactive medication to the county
  where the patient has been transferred.
         (e)  Subject to the requirement in Subsection (d) that the
  hearing shall be held on the date of a hearing on an application for
  court-ordered mental health services under Section 574.034 or
  574.035 or not later than five business [30] days after the filing
  of the application for an order to authorize psychoactive
  medication, the court may grant one continuance on a party's motion
  and for good cause shown. The court may grant more than one
  continuance only with the agreement of the parties.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  574.104, Health and Safety Code, apply only to an application to
  authorize the administration of certain medication that is filed on
  or after the effective date of this Act.  An application to
  authorize the administration of certain medication that is filed
  before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in
  effect on the date on which the application was filed, and the
  former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.