GREEN SHEET REDIGEST
HB 763 2016 Regular Session Carpenter
(KEYWORD, SUMMARY, AND DIGEST as amended by Senate committee
amendments)
HUMAN SERVICES: Authorizes and provides for behavioral health intervention and
stabilization units
DIGEST
Proposed law defines "intervention and stabilization unit" as a type of crisis receiving center
in which a staff of mental health and behavioral health specialists provide a high level of
screening and assessment to people experiencing mental health or behavioral health crises.
Provides that the purposes of an intervention and stabilization unit include, without
limitation, all of the following:
(1)To properly connect patients experiencing mental health or behavioral health crises
to either acute or ongoing community-based treatment.
(2)To diminish the need in a community for recurrent crisis services for persons
suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, or both conditions.
(3)To serve as a crisis continuum component that assists law enforcement officers,
hospital emergency departments, and jails by treating persons with mental health and
behavioral health conditions in an appropriate setting.
Proposed law authorizes human services districts and authorities to establish intervention and
stabilization units in accordance with the provisions of proposed law. Provides that subject
to appropriation therefor, a human services district or authority may establish and operate an
intervention and stabilization unit in any parish which meets all of the following criteria:
(1)The parish has a population of more than four hundred forty thousand according to
the latest federal decennial census.
(2) The parish experienced the closure of a hospital provided for in R.S. 17:1519.2 that
had been operated by the Health Care Services Division of the LSU Health Sciences
Center-New Orleans.
Proposed law stipulates that human services districts and authorities are authorized, but not
required, to establish any intervention and stabilization unit pursuant to proposed law as a
Level III (freestanding) crisis receiving center, but if they do establish such unit, it must be
properly licensed by DHH.
Proposed law restricts the establishment of intervention or stabilization units by any human
services authority or district unless and until the Legislature specifically appropriates funding
for this purpose. Further, no such district or authority shall divert any monies appropriated
to the authority or district for other purposes to establish or fund an intervention or
stabilization unit.
(Adds R.S. 28:931 and 932)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill:
1. Stipulate that human services districts and authorities are authorized, but not
required, to establish any mental health emergency room extension pursuant to
Page 1 of 2
Prepared by Jay Lueckel. proposed law as a Level III (freestanding) crisis receiving center in accordance
with present administrative law.
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Change the designation of the type of facility provided for in proposed law from
"mental health emergency room extension" to "intervention and stabilization
unit".
2. Stipulate that human services districts and authorities are authorized to establish
intervention and stabilization units as Level III (freestanding) crisis receiving
centers in accordance with present law relative to crisis response systems (R.S.
28:22), as well as with present administrative law relative to crisis receiving
centers.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to the
reengrossed bill
1. Removed provisions that limited application of bill to only certain parishes.
2. Clarified that any human service district that establishes an intervention and
stabilization unit must be properly licensed by DHH.
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Finance to the reengrossed
bill
1. Restores the limitation of the Act to parishes with a population of 440,000 or
more and which experienced the closure of a hospital that was operated by Health
Sciences Center-New Orleans.
2. Adds a Subsection restricting the establishment of intervention or stabilization
units by any human services authority or district unless and until the Legislature
specifically appropriates funding for this purpose. Further, no such district or
authority shall divert any monies appropriated to the authority or district for other
purposes to establish or fund an intervention or stabilization unit.
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Prepared by Jay Lueckel.