BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1787

By: Wray

Public Health

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Each session, interested parties seek to revise Texas statutes to reflect developments in case law and other substantive areas of law, provide clarity to legal ambiguities, and simplify and correct technical deficiencies. H.B. 1787 makes one such revision by providing an additional method for execution of a declaration for mental health treatment.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1787 amends the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to authorize a declaration for mental health treatment to be signed by the principal and acknowledged before a notary public as an alternative to being signed by the principal in the presence of two or more subscribing witnesses. The bill updates the declaration for mental health treatment form to reflect this alternative.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.