HF 619 (LSB 2690YH (2) 88)

HOUSE FILE 619

BY  GRASSLEY

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the notification of law enforcement regarding the discharge of a voluntary patient who is mentally ill or has symptoms of mental illness from a hospital.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 229.3, Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   229.3  Discharge of voluntary patients.
   1.  Any voluntary patient who has recovered, or whose hospitalization the chief medical officer of the hospital determines is no longer advisable, shall be discharged. Any voluntary patient may be discharged if to do so would in the judgment of the chief medical officer contribute to the most effective use of the hospital in the care and treatment of that patient and of other persons with mental illness.
   2.  If the chief medical officer of the hospital is informed that an arrest warrant has been issued for or charges are pending against a voluntary patient of the hospital, the chief medical officer may notify the appropriate law enforcement agency about the discharge of the patient prior to the patient’s discharge.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to notification of law enforcement about the discharge of a voluntary patient who is mentally ill or has symptoms of mental illness. Under current law, any voluntarily admitted patient for mental health treatment who has recovered, or whose hospitalization the chief medical officer of the hospital determines is no longer advisable, shall be discharged. The bill provides that if the chief medical officer of the hospital is informed that an arrest warrant has been issued for or charges are pending against a voluntary patient of the hospital, the chief medical officer may notify the appropriate law enforcement agency about the discharge of the patient prior to the patient’s discharge.