Courts and clinicians would consider substance use disorder in involuntary admissions

Courts, physicians, and psychiatrists would treat some impairment primarily caused by substance use disorder as mental illness when deciding whether to admit someone involuntarily. This applies to involuntary emergency admissions to a receiving facility under the bill's substance use disorder definition. The impairment must substantially affect emotional processes, conscious control, perception, or reasoning and must appear through extremely abnormal behavior or extremely faulty perceptions. The definition excludes impairment primarily caused by epilepsy, intellectual disability, alcohol intoxication, or alcohol dependence or addiction. Other legal requirements for involuntary admission would still apply. The bill provides no funding and authorizes no new positions. This provision would apply beginning January 1, 2027, if the bill takes effect.

Courts, physicians, and psychiatrists would use the same substance use disorder definition when deciding whether someone meets the standard for nonemergency involuntary treatment. The decision applies to admission to a receiving facility when a person's mental condition creates a potentially serious likelihood of danger to that person or others. The impairment must substantially affect emotional processes, conscious control, perception, or reasoning and must appear through extremely abnormal behavior or extremely faulty perceptions. The definition excludes impairment primarily caused by epilepsy, intellectual disability, alcohol intoxication, or alcohol dependence or addiction. The bill provides no funding and authorizes no new positions. This provision would apply beginning January 1, 2027, if the bill takes effect.