House File 2475 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  HEATON


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act authorizing a psychiatric advanced registered nurse
  2    practitioner to file certain periodic court reports on persons
  3    with mental illness who do not require full=time placement in
  4    a treatment facility.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  6 TLSB 6339YH 82
  7 rh/nh/5

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 229.1, Code 2007, is amended by adding
  1  2 the following new subsection:
  1  3    NEW SUBSECTION.  11A.  "Psychiatric advanced registered
  1  4 nurse practitioner" means an individual currently licensed as
  1  5 a registered nurse under chapter 152 or 152E who holds a
  1  6 national certification in psychiatric health care and who is
  1  7 registered with the board of nursing as an advanced registered
  1  8 nurse practitioner.
  1  9    Sec. 2.  Section 229.15, subsection 2, Code 2007, is
  1 10 amended to read as follows:
  1 11    2.  Not more than sixty days after the entry of a court
  1 12 order for treatment of a patient pursuant to a report issued
  1 13 under section 229.14, subsection 1, paragraph "c", and
  1 14 thereafter at successive intervals as ordered by the court but
  1 15 not to exceed ninety days so long as that court order remains
  1 16 in effect, the medical director of the facility or the
  1 17 psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner treating
  1 18 the patient shall report to the court which entered the order.
  1 19 The report shall state whether the patient's condition has
  1 20 improved, remains unchanged, or has deteriorated, and shall
  1 21 indicate if possible the further length of time the patient
  1 22 will require treatment by the facility.  If at any time the
  1 23 patient without good cause fails or refuses to submit to
  1 24 treatment as ordered by the court, the medical director or the
  1 25 psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner shall at
  1 26 once so notify the court, which shall order the patient
  1 27 hospitalized as provided by section 229.14, subsection 2,
  1 28 paragraph "d", unless the court finds that the failure or
  1 29 refusal was with good cause and that the patient is willing to
  1 30 receive treatment as provided in the court's order, or in a
  1 31 revised order if the court sees fit to enter one.  If at any
  1 32 time the medical director or the psychiatric advanced
  1 33 registered nurse practitioner reports to the court that in the
  1 34 director's or practitioner's opinion the patient requires
  1 35 full=time custody, care and treatment in a hospital, and the
  2  1 patient is willing to be admitted voluntarily to the hospital
  2  2 for these purposes, the court may enter an order approving
  2  3 hospitalization for appropriate treatment upon consultation
  2  4 with the chief medical officer of the hospital in which the
  2  5 patient is to be hospitalized.  If the patient is unwilling to
  2  6 be admitted voluntarily to the hospital, the procedure for
  2  7 determining involuntary hospitalization, as set out in section
  2  8 229.14, subsection 2, paragraph "d", shall be followed.
  2  9                           EXPLANATION
  2 10    This bill authorizes a psychiatric advanced registered
  2 11 nurse practitioner to file certain periodic court reports on
  2 12 persons with mental illness who do not require full=time
  2 13 placement in a treatment facility.
  2 14    The bill provides that no more than 60 days after entry of
  2 15 a court order for treatment of a respondent who is mentally
  2 16 ill who does not require full=time placement in a treatment
  2 17 facility and thereafter at successive intervals not to exceed
  2 18 90 days for as long as the involuntary treatment continues,
  2 19 the psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner shall
  2 20 have the authority, along with the administrator of the
  2 21 treatment facility or the psychiatric advanced registered
  2 22 nurse practitioner of the treatment facility, to report to the
  2 23 court which entered the order and shall state whether in the
  2 24 opinion of the psychiatric advanced registered nurse
  2 25 practitioner the respondent's condition has improved, remains
  2 26 unchanged, or has deteriorated, and shall indicate the further
  2 27 length of time the respondent will require treatment by the
  2 28 facility.  If the respondent fails or refuses to submit to
  2 29 treatment as ordered by the court, the psychiatric advanced
  2 30 registered nurse practitioner shall notify the court, which
  2 31 shall order the respondent committed for treatment unless the
  2 32 court finds that the failure or refusal was with good cause,
  2 33 and that the respondent is willing to receive treatment as
  2 34 provided in the court's order, or in a revised order if the
  2 35 court sees fit to enter one.  If the psychiatric advanced
  3  1 registered nurse practitioner reports to the court that the
  3  2 respondent requires full=time custody, care, and treatment in
  3  3 a facility, and the respondent is willing to be admitted
  3  4 voluntarily to the facility for these purposes, the court may
  3  5 enter an order approving the placement upon consultation with
  3  6 the administrator of the facility in which the respondent is
  3  7 to be placed.
  3  8    The bill defines "psychiatric advanced registered nurse
  3  9 practitioner" as an individual currently licensed as a
  3 10 registered nurse under Code chapter 152 or 152E who holds a
  3 11 national certification in psychiatric health care and who is
  3 12 registered with the board of nursing as an advanced registered
  3 13 nurse practitioner.
  3 14 LSB 6339YH 82
  3 15 rh/nh/5