AB435: Bill Text

LRB-3320/1

TJD:sac:rs

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Assembly BILL 435

October 17, 2013 - Introduced by Joint Legislative Council. Referred to Committee on Health.

AB435,1,10 An Act to repeal 51.13 (1) (c) 2. and 3.; to renumber and amend 51.13 (1) (c) 1.; to amend 51.13 (1) (title), 51.13 (1) (a) and (b), 51.13 (3) (b), 51.13 (4) (title), 51.13 (4) (a) (intro.) and 6., 51.13 (4) (d), 51.13 (4) (g) (intro.) and 1. c., 51.13 (6) (a) 3., 51.13 (7) (b) 1. to 3., 51.35 (3) (a) and (b) and 51.61 (6); and to create 51.13 (1) (bm), 51.13 (1) (d) (title), 51.13 (1) (e) (title), 51.13 (1) (em) (title), 51.13 (3) (am) (title), 51.13 (3) (b) (title), 51.13 (3) (d) (title), 51.13 (3) (e) (title), 51.13 (4) (b) (title), 51.13 (4) (c) (title), 51.13 (4) (e) (title), 51.13 (4) (f) (title), 51.13 (4) (g) 4., 51.13 (4) (h) (title), 51.13 (4) (i) (title), 51.13 (6) (a) (title), 51.13 (6) (b) (title), 51.13 (6) (c) (title), 51.13 (7) (a) (title), 51.13 (7) (b) (title) and 51.13 (7) (c) (title) of the statutes; relating to: admission of minors for inpatient treatment.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill is explained in the Notes provided by the Joint Legislative Council in the bill.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

Joint Legislative Council prefatory note: This bill was prepared for the Joint Legislative Council's Special Committee on Review of Emergency Detention and Admission of Minors Under Chapter 51.

Under current law, s. 51.13, stats., governs inpatient mental health treatment of minors. Section 51.13 (4), stats., requires a petition to be filed for the review of an admission of a minor of any age for treatment of mental illness, alcoholism or drug abuse, or developmental disability. Included in the petition must be a notation of any statement made or conduct demonstrated by the minor in the presence of the director or staff of the facility indicating that inpatient treatment is against the minor's wishes.

Also, under current law, a minor may be admitted to an inpatient treatment facility without following the review procedures for diagnosis and evaluation or for dental, medical, or psychiatric services, for no longer than 12 days. A minor's parent or guardian must execute the application for short-term admission. However, if the minor is age 14 or older, the minor must join in the application if it is for mental health or developmental disability services or treatment. If the minor refuses to do so, then the parent or guardian may do so. In that case, the review procedures outlined above apply, and the facility's treatment director must file a petition for review of the short-term admission.

An application for short-term admission must be reviewed by the facility's treatment director, who may approve it only if the treatment director determines that the admission provides the least restrictive means of providing the diagnosis or evaluation, or provision of dental, medical, or psychiatric services. The minor must be released at the end of the 12-day period unless a regular application for admission has been filed. Only one short-term admission under this procedure may be made every 120 days.

Finally, testimony provided to the special committee indicated that, in some areas of the state, there is little awareness of the ability of a parent of a minor age 14 or older to obtain treatment for the minor if the minor does not want treatment. In some cases, this lack of awareness has resulted in necessary treatment not being provided that could have prevented harm to a minor.

This bill does the following:

•Eliminates the need to file a petition for review of an admission of a minor under age 14 for treatment of mental illness, alcoholism or drug abuse, or developmental disability. Because under current law, parents have the authority to consent to inpatient admission for minors under age 14 without the minor joining in the petition, the committee recommended that the petition and hearing requirements in current law for minors under age 14 are unnecessary and should be eliminated. A petition would still be required if the minor wanted treatment but the parent refused; if a parent with legal custody or guardian cannot be found; or if there is no parent or guardian.

•Eliminates the need to file a petition for a minor age 14 to 17 who is voluntarily participating in inpatient treatment for mental illness. A petition would still have to be filed if the minor refused to join in the application, or if the parent with legal custody or guardian cannot be found, or there is no parent with legal custody or guardian. A petition would also still be required if the minor wanted treatment but the parent refused. It should be noted that a minor age 14 or older may request discharge from the inpatient facility at any time. If the request is denied, current law sets forth a procedure for determining the continued appropriateness of the admission. This provides protection of the minor's rights if the minor withdraws his or her consent to the treatment.

•Eliminates the petition requirement at the expiration of the 12-day time period if the admission was voluntary on the part of the minor and the parent.

•Eliminates the provision that allows for no more than one short-term (up to 12 days) voluntary admission of a minor every 120 days.

•Creates subsection and paragraph titles within s. 51.13 to provide guidance to the reader regarding the subject matter of the subsections and paragraphs and eliminates some redundant language in s. 51.13.

AB435,1 Section 1. 51.13 (1) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB435,3,2 51.13 (1) (title) Admission for treatment.

AB435,2 Section 2. 51.13 (1) (a) and (b) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB435,3,14 51.13 (1) (a) Minors under 14 years of age. Except as provided in par. (c) and ss. 51.45 (2m) and 51.47, the application for admission of a minor who is 14 years of age or older to an approved inpatient treatment facility for the primary purpose of treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse and the application for admission of a minor who is under 14 years of age to an approved inpatient treatment facility for the primary purpose of treatment for mental illness, developmental disability, alcoholism, or drug abuse shall be executed by a parent who has legal custody of the minor or the minor's guardian. Any statement or conduct by a minor who is the subject of an application for admission under this paragraph indicating that the minor does not agree to admission to the facility shall be noted on the face of the application and shall be noted in the petition required by sub. (4).

AB435,4,3 (b) Minors 14 years of age or older; mental illness or developmental disability. The application for admission of a minor who is 14 years of age or older to an approved inpatient treatment facility for the primary purpose of treatment for mental illness or developmental disability shall be executed by the minor and a parent who has legal custody of the minor or the minor's guardian, except as provided in par. (c) 1., except that, if. If the minor refuses to execute the application, a parent who has legal custody of the minor or the minor's guardian may execute the application on the minor's behalf, and the petition shall be filed as required under sub. (4).

AB435,3 Section 3. 51.13 (1) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,4,13 51.13 (1) (bm) Minors 14 years of age or older; alcoholism or drug abuse treatment. Except as provided in par. (c) and ss. 51.42 (2m) and 51.47, the application for admission of a minor who is 14 years of age or older to an approved inpatient facility for the primary purpose of treatment for alcoholism or drug abuse shall be executed by a parent who has legal custody of the minor or the minor's guardian. Any statement or conduct by a minor who is the subject of an application for admission under this paragraph indicating that the minor does not agree to admission to the facility shall be noted on the face of the application and shall be noted in the petition required under sub. (4).

AB435,4 Section 4. 51.13 (1) (c) 1. of the statutes is renumbered 51.13 (1) (c) and amended to read:

AB435,5,6 51.13 (1) (c) Lack of parent or guardian consent to treatment. If a minor 14 years of age or older wishes to be admitted to an approved inpatient treatment facility but a parent with legal custody or the guardian refuses to execute the application for admission or cannot be found, or if there is no parent with legal custody or guardian, or the parent with legal custody or guardian of a minor 14 years of age or older refuses to execute the application, the minor or a person acting on the minor's behalf may petition the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938 in the county of residence of the parent or guardian for approval of the admission. A copy of the petition and a notice of hearing shall be served upon the parent or guardian at his or her last-known address. If, after a hearing, the court determines that the consent of the parent or guardian is being unreasonably withheld, that the parent or guardian cannot be found, or that there is no parent with legal custody, and that the admission is proper under the standards prescribed in sub. (4) (d), the court shall approve the minor's admission without the consent of the parent or guardian under sub. (4). The court may, at the minor's request, temporarily approve the admission pending hearing on the petition, if such a hearing is required under sub. (4).

AB435,5 Section 5. 51.13 (1) (c) 2. and 3. of the statutes are repealed.

AB435,6 Section 6. 51.13 (1) (d) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,5,9 51.13 (1) (d) (title) Other petition filed.

AB435,7 Section 7. 51.13 (1) (e) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,5,11 51.13 (1) (e) (title) Admission on approval of application.

AB435,8 Section 8. 51.13 (1) (em) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,5,13 51.13 (1) (em) (title) Standards for approval of admission.

AB435,9 Section 9. 51.13 (3) (am) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,5,15 51.13 (3) (am) (title) Rights.

AB435,10 Section 10. 51.13 (3) (b) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,5,17 51.13 (3) (b) (title) Right to request discharge.

AB435,11 Section 11. 51.13 (3) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB435,6,2 51.13 (3) (b) Prior to or at admission, a minor who is voluntarily admitted under sub. (1) (c) 1. or 2., and the minor's parent or guardian, if available, shall be informed by the director or his or her designee, both orally and in writing, in easily understandable language, of the minor's right to request discharge and to be discharged within 48 hours of the request, as provided under sub. (7) (b), if no statement is filed for emergency detention or if no petition is filed for emergency commitment, involuntary commitment, or protective placement, and the minor's right to consent to or refuse treatment as provided in s. 51.61 (6).

AB435,12 Section 12. 51.13 (3) (d) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,6,4 51.13 (3) (d) (title) Explanation of rights.

AB435,13 Section 13. 51.13 (3) (e) (title) of the statutes is created to read:

AB435,6,6 51.13 (3) (e) (title) Availability of writing materials.

AB435,14 Section 14. 51.13 (4) (title) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB435,6,8 51.13 (4) (title) Review Petition requirement; review procedure.