READ FIRST TIME 02/21/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to the judicial costs of commitments for involuntary mental health treatment; amending RCW 71.05.110, 71.24.160, 71.34.300, and 71.34.330; reenacting and amending RCW 71.05.230; adding new sections to chapter 71.05 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 71.34 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes that counties that host evaluation and treatment beds incur costs by providing judicial services associated with civil commitments under chapters 71.05 and 71.34 RCW. Because evaluation and treatment beds are not evenly distributed across the state, these commitments frequently occur in a different county from the county in which the person was originally detained. The intent of this act is to create a process for the state to reimburse counties through the regional support networks for the counties' reasonable direct costs incurred in providing these judicial services, and to prevent the burden of these costs from falling disproportionately on the counties or regional support networks in which the commitments are most likely to occur. The legislature recognizes that the costs of judicial services may vary across the state based on different factors and conditions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A county may apply to its regional support network on a quarterly basis for reimbursement of its direct costs in providing judicial services for civil commitment cases under this chapter and chapter 71.34 RCW. The regional support network shall in turn be entitled to reimbursement from the regional support network that serves the county of residence of the individual who is the subject of the civil commitment case. Reimbursements under this section shall be paid out of the regional support network's nonmedicaid appropriation.
     (2) Reimbursement for judicial services shall be provided per civil commitment case at a rate to be determined based on an independent assessment of the county's actual direct costs. This assessment must be based on an average of the expenditures for judicial services within the county over the past three years. In the event that a baseline cannot be established because there is no significant history of similar cases within the county, the reimbursement rate shall be equal to eighty percent of the median reimbursement rate of counties included in the independent assessment.
     (3) For the purposes of this section:
     (a) "Civil commitment case" includes all judicial hearings related to a single episode of hospitalization, or less restrictive alternative detention in lieu of hospitalization, except that the filing of a petition for a one hundred eighty-day commitment under this chapter or a petition for a successive one hundred eighty-day commitment under chapter 71.34 RCW shall be considered to be a new case regardless of whether there has been a break in detention. "Civil commitment case" does not include the filing of a petition for a one hundred eighty-day commitment under this chapter on behalf of a patient at a state psychiatric hospital.
     (b) "Judicial services" means a county's reasonable direct costs in providing prosecutor services, assigned counsel and defense services, court services, and court clerk services for civil commitment cases under this chapter and chapter 71.34 RCW.
     (4) To the extent that resources have shared purpose, the regional support network may only reimburse counties to the extent such resources are necessary for and devoted to judicial services as described in this section.
     (5) No filing fee may be charged or collected for any civil commitment case subject to reimbursement under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall conduct an independent assessment of the direct costs of providing judicial services under this chapter and chapter 71.34 RCW as defined in section 2 of this act. The assessment shall include a review and analysis of the reasons for differences in costs among counties. The assessment shall be conducted for any county in which more than twenty civil commitment cases were conducted during the year prior to the study. The assessment must be completed by June 1, 2012.
     (2) The administrative office of the courts and the department shall provide the joint legislative audit and review committee with assistance and data required to complete the assessment.
     (3) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall present recommendations as to methods for updating the costs identified in the assessment to reflect changes over time.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 71.34 RCW to read as follows:
     A county may apply to its regional support network for reimbursement of its direct costs in providing judicial services for civil commitment cases under this chapter, as provided in section 2 of this act.

Sec. 5   RCW 71.05.110 and 1997 c 112 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     Attorneys appointed for persons pursuant to this chapter shall be compensated for their services as follows: (1) The person for whom an attorney is appointed shall, if he or she is financially able pursuant to standards as to financial capability and indigency set by the superior court of the county in which the proceeding is held, bear the costs of such legal services; (2) if such person is indigent pursuant to such standards, the ((costs of such services shall be borne by)) regional support network shall reimburse the county in which the proceeding is held((, subject however to the responsibility for costs provided in RCW 71.05.320(2))) for the direct costs of such legal services, as provided in section 2 of this act.

Sec. 6   RCW 71.24.160 and 2001 c 323 s 15 are each amended to read as follows:
     The regional support networks shall make satisfactory showing to the secretary that state funds shall in no case be used to replace local funds from any source being used to finance mental health services prior to January 1, 1990. Maintenance of effort funds devoted to judicial services related to involuntary commitment reimbursed under section 2 of this act must be expended for other purposes that further treatment for mental health and chemical dependency disorders.

Sec. 7   RCW 71.34.300 and 1985 c 354 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The county or combination of counties is responsible for development and coordination of the evaluation and treatment program for minors, for incorporating the program into the county mental health plan, and for coordination of evaluation and treatment services and resources with the community mental health program required under chapter 71.24 RCW.
     (2) The county shall be responsible for maintaining its support of involuntary treatment services for minors at its 1984 level, adjusted for inflation, with the department responsible for additional costs to the county resulting from this chapter. Maintenance of effort funds devoted to judicial services related to involuntary commitment reimbursed under section 2 of this act must be expended for other purposes that further treatment for mental health and chemical dependency disorders.

Sec. 8   RCW 71.34.330 and 1985 c 354 s 23 are each amended to read as follows:
     Attorneys appointed for minors under this chapter shall be compensated for their services as follows:
     (1) Responsible others shall bear the costs of such legal services if financially able according to standards set by the court of the county in which the proceeding is held.
     (2) If all responsible others are indigent as determined by these standards, the ((costs of these legal services shall be borne by)) regional support network shall reimburse the county in which the proceeding is held for the direct costs of such legal services, as provided in section 2 of this act.

Sec. 9   RCW 71.05.230 and 2009 c 293 s 3 and 2009 c 217 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     A person detained for seventy-two hour evaluation and treatment may be detained for not more than fourteen additional days of involuntary intensive treatment or ninety additional days of a less restrictive alternative to involuntary intensive treatment. ((There shall be no fee for filing petitions for fourteen days of involuntary intensive treatment.)) A petition may only be filed if the following conditions are met:
     (1) The professional staff of the agency or facility providing evaluation services has analyzed the person's condition and finds that the condition is caused by mental disorder and either results in a likelihood of serious harm, or results in the detained person being gravely disabled and are prepared to testify those conditions are met; and
     (2) The person has been advised of the need for voluntary treatment and the professional staff of the facility has evidence that he or she has not in good faith volunteered; and
     (3) The facility providing intensive treatment is certified to provide such treatment by the department; and
     (4) The professional staff of the agency or facility or the designated mental health professional has filed a petition for fourteen day involuntary detention or a ninety day less restrictive alternative with the court. The petition must be signed either by:
     (a) Two physicians;
     (b) One physician and a mental health professional;
     (c) Two psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioners;
     (d) One psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner and a mental health professional; or
     (e) A physician and a psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner. The persons signing the petition must have examined the person. If involuntary detention is sought the petition shall state facts that support the finding that such person, as a result of mental disorder, presents a likelihood of serious harm, or is gravely disabled and that there are no less restrictive alternatives to detention in the best interest of such person or others. The petition shall state specifically that less restrictive alternative treatment was considered and specify why treatment less restrictive than detention is not appropriate. If an involuntary less restrictive alternative is sought, the petition shall state facts that support the finding that such person, as a result of mental disorder, presents a likelihood of serious harm, or is gravely disabled and shall set forth the less restrictive alternative proposed by the facility; and
     (5) A copy of the petition has been served on the detained person, his or her attorney and his or her guardian or conservator, if any, prior to the probable cause hearing; and
     (6) The court at the time the petition was filed and before the probable cause hearing has appointed counsel to represent such person if no other counsel has appeared; and
     (7) The petition reflects that the person was informed of the loss of firearm rights if involuntarily committed; and
     (8) At the conclusion of the initial commitment period, the professional staff of the agency or facility or the designated mental health professional may petition for an additional period of either ninety days of less restrictive alternative treatment or ninety days of involuntary intensive treatment as provided in RCW 71.05.290; and
     (9) If the hospital or facility designated to provide outpatient treatment is other than the facility providing involuntary treatment, the outpatient facility so designated has agreed to assume such responsibility.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   Except for section 3 of this act, this act takes effect July 1, 2012.