DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP ORT DIGEST
HB 763 2016 Regular Session Carpenter
Keyword and oneliner of the instrument as it left the House
HUMAN SERVICES: Authorizes and provides for behavioral health intervention and stabilization
units
Report adopts Senate amendments to:
1. Provide that no intervention or stabilization unit shall be established by any human services
authority or district unless and until the legislature specifically appropriates funding for this
purpose.
2. Provide that no human services authority or district shall divert any moneys appropriated to
it for other purposes to establish or fund an intervention or stabilization unit.
Report amends the bill to:
1. Replace the term "intervention or stabilization unit" appearing in a Senate committee
amendment with the defined term "intervention and stabilization unit" to maintain
consistency with proposed law.
Digest of the bill as proposed by the Conference Committee
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 a 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 that meets all of the following criteria:
(1)The parish has a population of more than 440,000 according to the latest federal decennial
census.
(2)The parish experienced the closure of a hospital that had been operated by the LSU Health
Care Services Division.
Proposed law stipulates that for purposes of licensure, 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.
Proposed law provides that no intervention and stabilization unit shall be established by any human
services authority or district unless and until the legislature specifically appropriates funding for this
purpose. Provides further that no human services authority or district shall divert any moneys
appropriated to it for other purposes to establish or fund an intervention and stabilization unit.
(Adds R.S. 28:931 and 932)