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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2012
SENATE BILL NO. 446
BY SENATOR PETERSON
MENTAL HEALTH. Prohibits a community-based physical health care provider from
discriminating in its offering and providing services to a person based on the person's serious
mental illness. (8/1/12)
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 40:2013.7, relative to mental health; to provide a prohibition on discrimination2
by a community-based physical health care provider based on a serious mental3
illness; to provide definitions; and to provide for related matters.4
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:5
Section 1. R.S. 40:2013.7 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 6
ยง 2013.7. Prohibition on discrimination by a community-based physical health7
care provider based on a serious mental illness8
A. No community-based physical health care provider shall discriminate9
in the offering or the providing of its services to any person based on the10
person's serious mental illness.11
B. For the purposes of this Section, the following terms shall mean:12
(1) "Community-based physical health care provider" means any facility13
or institution, whether public or private, that offers diagnosis, treatment, and14
inpatient or ambulatory care of two or more unrelated persons.15
(2) Serious mental illness means any of various conditions characterized16
by impairment of an individual's normal emotional or behavioral functioning,17 SB NO. 446
SLS 12RS-717 ENGROSSED
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
and caused by social, psychological, biochemical, genetic, or other factors1
expected to exist for more than six months.2
C. This Section shall not apply to hospitals, chiropractors, nursing3
homes, optometrists, or dentists.4
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
Peterson (SB 446)
Proposed law provides no community-based physical health care provider shall discriminate
in the offering or the providing of its services to any person based on the person's mental
illness or disorder.
Proposed law defines "community-based physical health care provider " and "serious mental
illness".
Proposed law provides exemptions for hospitals, chiropractors, nursing homes, optometrists,
or dentists.
Effective August 1, 2012.
(Adds R.S. 40:2013.7)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill.
1. Replaces healthcare facility with community-based physical health care
provider and defines community-based physical health care provider.
2. Replaces mental illness or disorder with serious mental illness and defines
serious mental illness.
3. Provides exemptions for hospitals, chiropractors, nursing homes,
optometrists, or dentists.