HLS 25RS-337 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 137
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARLSON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
HEALTH/EMERG MED SERVICE: Authorizes psychologists and medical psychologists
to evaluate a patient via telehealth for emergency certificates
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 28:53(B)(1), relative to admission for emergency certificates via
3 telehealth; to authorize psychologists and medical psychologists to conduct
4 telehealth examinations under certain circumstances; and to provide for related
5 matters.
6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 28:53(B)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 * * *
9 ยง53. Admission by emergency certificate; extension; payment for services rendered
10 * * *
11 B.(1) Any physician licensed or permitted by the Louisiana State Board of
12 Medical Examiners, physician assistant when acting in accordance with their his
13 respective clinical practice guidelines, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner,
14 other nurse practitioner who acts in accordance with a collaborative practice
15 agreement and receives verbal approval for executing the certificate from his
16 collaborating physician, or psychologist may execute an emergency certificate only
17 after an actual examination of a person alleged to have a mental illness or be
18 suffering from a substance-related or addictive disorder who is determined to be in
19 need of immediate care and treatment in a treatment facility because the examining
20 physician, physician assistant when acting in accordance with their his respective
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 25RS-337 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 137
1 clinical practice guidelines, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, other nurse
2 practitioner who acts in accordance with a collaborative practice agreement and
3 receives verbal approval for executing the certificate from his collaborating
4 physician, or psychologist determines the person to be dangerous to self or others or
5 to be gravely disabled. The actual examination of the person by a psychiatrist,
6 psychologist, medical psychologist, or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner
7 may be conducted by telehealth utilizing video conferencing technology, provided
8 that a licensed healthcare professional who can adequately and accurately assist with
9 obtaining any necessary information including but not limited to the information
10 listed in Paragraph (4) of this Subsection shall be in the examination room with the
11 patient at the time of the video conference. A patient examined in such a manner
12 shall be medically cleared prior to admission to a mental health treatment facility.
13 Failure to conduct an examination prior to the execution of the certificate will be
14 evidence of gross negligence.
15 * * *
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)]
HB 137 Original 2025 Regular Session Carlson
Abstract: Authorizes psychologists and medical psychologists to conduct certain
examinations via telehealth.
Present law allows licensed medical physicians, certain physician assistants, psychiatric
mental health nurse practitioners, nurse practitioners with the appropriate collaborative
practice agreement, and psychologists to execute an emergency certificate after an actual
examination of a person alleged to have a mental illness or be suffering from a substance-
related or addictive disorder who is determined to be in need of immediate care.
Present law allows the actual examination of the person to be conducted by a psychiatrist or
psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner via telehealth utilizing video conferencing
technology under certain circumstances.
Proposed law retains present law but further allows psychologists and medical psychologists
to conduct the examination via telehealth.
(Amends R.S. 28:53(B)(1))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.