S.B. No. 359
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to the authority of a peace officer to apprehend a person
  for emergency detention and the authority of certain facilities and
  physicians to temporarily detain a person with mental illness.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Subchapter A, Chapter 573, Health
  and Safety Code, is amended to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER A.  APPREHENSION, [BY PEACE OFFICER OR] TRANSPORTATION,
  OR DETENTION WITHOUT JUDGE'S OR MAGISTRATE'S ORDER [FOR EMERGENCY
  DETENTION BY GUARDIAN]
         SECTION 2.  Section 573.001, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:
         (i)  A peace officer may take a person who has been admitted
  to a facility into custody under this section.  For purposes of this
  subsection, "facility" has the meaning assigned by Section 573.005.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter A, Chapter 573, Health and Safety
  Code, is amended by adding Section 573.005 to read as follows:
         Sec. 573.005.  TEMPORARY DETENTION IN CERTAIN FACILITIES.  
  (a)  In this section, "facility" means:
               (1)  an inpatient mental health facility other than a
  community center, a facility operated by or under contract with a
  community center, an entity that the department designates to
  provide mental health services, a local mental health authority, or
  a facility operated by or under contract with a local mental health
  authority, unless the facility is licensed under Chapter 577;
               (2)  a hospital, or the emergency department of a
  hospital, licensed under Chapter 241; and
               (3)  a freestanding emergency medical care facility
  licensed under Chapter 254.
         (b)  The governing body of a facility may adopt and implement
  a written policy that provides for the facility or a physician at
  the facility to detain a person who voluntarily requested treatment
  from the facility or who lacks the capacity to consent to treatment,
  as provided by this section, if:
               (1)  the person expresses a desire to leave the
  facility or attempts to leave the facility before the examination
  or treatment is completed; and
               (2)  a physician at the facility:
                     (A)  has reason to believe and does believe that:
                           (i)  the person has a mental illness; and
                           (ii)  because of that mental illness there
  is a substantial risk of serious harm to the person or to others
  unless the person is immediately restrained; and
                     (B)  believes that there is not sufficient time to
  file an application for emergency detention or for an order of
  protective custody.
         (c)  A policy adopted and implemented by a facility under
  this section may not allow the facility or a physician at the
  facility to detain a person who has been transported to the facility
  for emergency detention under this chapter.
         (d)  A policy adopted and implemented by a facility under
  this section must require:
               (1)  the facility staff or the physician who intends to
  detain the person under the policy to notify the person of that
  intention;
               (2)  a physician to document a decision by the facility
  or the physician to detain a person under the policy and to place a
  notice of detention in the person's medical record that contains
  the same information as required in a peace officer's notification
  of detention under Section 573.002; and
               (3)  the period of a person's detention under the policy
  to be less than four hours following the time the person first
  expressed a desire to leave, or attempted to leave, the facility,
  and the facility or physician to release the person not later than
  the end of the four-hour period unless the facility staff or
  physician arranges for a peace officer to take the person into
  custody under Section 573.001 or an order of protective custody is
  issued.
         (e)  Detention of a person under a policy adopted and
  implemented by a facility under this section is not considered
  involuntary psychiatric hospitalization for purposes of Section
  411.172(e), Government Code.
         (f)  A physician, person, or facility that detains or does
  not detain a person under a policy adopted and implemented by a
  facility under this section and that acts in good faith and without
  malice is not civilly or criminally liable for that action.
         (g)  A facility is not civilly or criminally liable for its
  governing body's decision to adopt or not to adopt a policy under
  this section.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 359 passed the Senate on
  April 9, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 3; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 19, 2015, by the
  following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 359 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 13, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 128,
  Nays 12, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor