AN ACT Relating to involuntary commitment; and amending RCW 71.05.020, 71.05.120, 71.05.130, 71.05.250, and 71.05.370.

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

Sec. 1. Section 7, chapter 142, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 5, chapter 215, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 71.05.020 are each amended to read as follows:

For the purposes of this chapter:

(1) "Gravely disabled" means a condition in which a person, as a result of a mental disorder: (a) Is in danger of serious physical harm resulting from a failure to provide for his essential human needs of health or safety, or (b) manifests severe deterioration in routine functioning evidenced by repeated and escalating loss of cognitive or volitional control over his or her actions and is not receiving such care as is essential for his or her health or safety;

(2) "Mental disorder" means any organic, mental, or emotional impairment which has substantial adverse effects on an individual's cognitive or volitional functions;

(3) "Likelihood of serious harm" means either: (a) A substantial risk that physical harm will be inflicted by an individual upon his own person, as evidenced by threats or attempts to commit suicide or inflict physical harm on one's self, (b) a substantial risk that physical harm will be inflicted by an individual upon another, as evidenced by behavior which has caused such harm or which places another person or persons in reasonable fear of sustaining such harm, or (c) a substantial risk that physical harm will be inflicted by an individual upon the property of others, as evidenced by behavior which has caused substantial loss or damage to the property of others;

(4) "Peace officer" means a law enforcement official of a public agency or governmental unit, and includes persons specifically given peace officer powers by any state law, local ordinance, or judicial order of appointment;

(5) "Judicial commitment" means a commitment by a court pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

(6) "Public agency" means any evaluation and treatment facility or institution, hospital, or sanitarium which is conducted for, or includes a department or ward conducted for, the care and treatment of persons who are mentally ill or deranged, if the agency is operated directly by, federal, state, county, or municipal government, or a combination of such governments;

(7) "Private agency" means any person, partnership, corporation, or association not defined as a public agency, whether or not financed in whole or in part by public funds, which constitutes an evaluation and treatment facility or private institution, hospital, or sanitarium, which is conducted for, or includes a department or ward conducted for the care and treatment of persons who are mentally ill;

(8) "Attending staff" means any person on the staff of a public or private agency having responsibility for the care and treatment of a patient;

(9) "Department" means the department of social and health services of the state of Washington;

(10) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of social and health services, or his designee;

(11) "Mental health professional" means a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, or social worker, and such other mental health professionals as may be defined by rules and regulations adopted by the secretary pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

(12) "Professional person" shall mean a mental health professional, as above defined, and shall also mean a physician, registered nurse, and such others as may be defined by rules and regulations adopted by the secretary pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;

(13) "Psychiatrist" means a person having a license as a physician and surgeon in this state who has in addition completed three years of graduate training in psychiatry in a program approved by the American medical association or the American osteopathic association;

(14) "Psychologist" means a person who has been licensed as a psychologist pursuant to chapter 18.83 RCW;

(15) "Social worker" means a person with a master's or further advanced degree from an accredited school of social work or a degree from a graduate school deemed equivalent under rules and regulations adopted by the secretary;

(16) "Evaluation and treatment facility" means any facility which can provide directly, or by direct arrangement with other public or private agencies, emergency evaluation and treatment, outpatient care, and short term inpatient care to persons suffering from a mental disorder, and which is certified as such by the department of social and health services: PROVIDED, That a physically separate and separately operated portion of a state hospital may be designated as an evaluation and treatment facility: PROVIDED FURTHER, That a facility which is part of, or operated by, the department of social and health services or any federal agency will not require certification: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That no correctional institution or facility, or jail, shall be an evaluation and treatment facility within the meaning of this chapter.

(17) "Antipsychotic medications", also referred to as "neuroleptics", describe that class of drugs primarily used to treat serious manifestations of mental illness associated with thought disorders and currently includes phenothiazines, thioxanthenes, butyrophenone, dihydroindolone and dibenzoxazipine.

Sec. 2. Section 17, chapter 142, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as last amended by section 301, chapter 212, Laws of 1987 and RCW 71.05.120 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) No officer of a public or private agency, nor the superintendent, professional person in charge, his or her professional designee, or attending staff of any such agency, nor any public official performing functions necessary to the administration of this chapter, nor peace officer responsible for detaining a person pursuant to this chapter, nor any county designated mental health professional, nor the state, a unit of local government, or an evaluation and treatment facility shall be civilly or criminally liable for performing duties pursuant to this chapter with regard to the decision of whether to admit, release, administer antipsychotic medications on an emergency basis, or detain a person for evaluation and treatment: PROVIDED, That such duties were performed in good faith and without gross negligence.

(2) This section does not relieve a person from giving the required notices under RCW 71.05.330(2) or 71.05.340(1)(b), or the duty to warn or to take reasonable precautions to provide protection from violent behavior where the patient has communicated an actual threat of physical violence against a reasonably identifiable victim or victims. The duty to warn or to take reasonable precautions to provide protection from violent behavior is discharged if reasonable efforts are made to communicate the threat to the victim or victims and to law enforcement personnel.

Sec. 3. Section 18, chapter 142, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 8, chapter 215, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 71.05.130 are each amended to read as follows:

In any judicial proceeding for involuntary commitment or detention, or administration of antipsychotic medication, or in any proceeding challenging such commitment or detention, or administration of antipsychotic medication, the prosecuting attorney for the county in which the proceeding was initiated shall represent the individuals or agencies petitioning for commitment or detention or administration of antipsychotic medication and shall defend all challenges to such commitment or detention or administration of antipsychotic medication: PROVIDED, That after January 1, 1980, the attorney general shall represent and provide legal services and advice to state hospitals or institutions with regard to all provisions of and proceedings under this chapter except in proceedings initiated by such hospitals and institutions seeking fourteen day detention.

Sec. 4. Section 30, chapter 142, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as last amended by section 6, chapter 439, Laws of 1987 and RCW 71.05.250 are each amended to read as follows:

At the probable cause hearing the detained person shall have the following rights in addition to the rights previously specified:

(1) To present evidence on his or her behalf;

(2) To cross-examine witnesses who testify against him or her;

(3) To be proceeded against by the rules of evidence;

(4) To remain silent;

(5) To view and copy all petitions and reports in the court file.

The physician-patient privilege or the psychologist-client privilege shall be deemed waived in proceedings under this chapter relating to the administration of antipsychotic medications. As to other proceedings under this chapter, the privileges shall be waived when a court of competent jurisdiction in its discretion determines that such waiver is necessary to protect either the detained person or the public.

The waiver of a privilege under this section is limited to records or testimony relevant to evaluation of the detained person for purposes of a proceeding under this chapter. Upon motion by the detained person or on its own motion, the court shall examine a record or testimony sought by a petitioner to determine whether it is within the scope of the waiver.

The record maker shall not be required to testify in order to introduce medical or psychological records of the detained person so long as the requirements of RCW 5.45.020 are met except that portions of the record which contains opinions as to the detained person's mental state must be deleted from such records unless the person making such conclusions is available for cross-examination.

Sec. 5. Section 42, chapter 142, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 26, chapter 145, Laws of 1974 ex. sess. and RCW 71.05.370 are each amended to read as follows:

Insofar as danger to the individual or others is not created, each person involuntarily detained, treated in a less restrictive alternative course of treatment, or committed for treatment and evaluation pursuant to this chapter shall have, in addition to other rights not specifically withheld by law, the following rights, a list of which shall be prominently posted in all facilities, institutions, and hospitals providing such services:

(1) To wear his own clothes and to keep and use his own personal possessions, except when deprivation of same is essential to protect the safety of the resident or other persons;

(2) To keep and be allowed to spend a reasonable sum of his own money for canteen expenses and small purchases;

(3) To have access to individual storage space for his private use;

(4) To have visitors at reasonable times;

(5) To have reasonable access to a telephone, both to make and receive confidential calls;

(6) To have ready access to letter writing materials, including stamps, and to send and receive uncensored correspondence through the mails;

(7) Not to consent to the performance of shock treatment, the administration of antipsychotic medications or surgery, except emergency life-saving surgery, upon him, and not to have shock treatment, antipsychotic medications or nonemergency surgery in such circumstance unless ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction pursuant to ((a judicial hearing in which the person is present and represented by counsel, and the court shall appoint a psychiatrist, psychologist, or physician designated by such person or his counsel to testify on behalf of such person)) the following standards and procedures:

(a) Shock treatment and the administration of antipsychotic medication shall not be ordered unless the petitioning party proves by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence that there exists a compelling state interest which justifies overriding the patient's objection to shock treatment or the administration of antipsychotic medications, that the proposed treatment is necessary and effective, and that medically acceptable alternative forms of treatment are not available, have not been successful or are not likely to be effective.

(b) The court shall make specific findings of fact concerning: (i) The existence of one or more compelling state interests, (ii) the necessity and effectiveness of the treatment, and (iii) the person's desires regarding the proposed treatment. If the patient is unable to make a rational and informed decision about consenting to or refusing the proposed treatment, the court shall make a substituted judgment for the patient as if he or she were competent to make such a determination.

(c) The person shall be present at any hearing on a request to administer shock treatment or antipsychotic medications filed pursuant to this subsection. The person has the right to be represented by an attorney, the right to present evidence, to cross-examine witnesses, to be proceeded against pursuant to the rules of evidence, to remain silent, to view and copy all petitions and reports in the court file, and to be given reasonable notice and an opportunity to prepare for the hearing. The court may appoint a psychiatrist, psychologist, or physician to examine and testify on behalf of such person.

(d) An order for the administration of antipsychotic medications entered following a hearing conducted pursuant to this section shall be effective for the period of the involuntary treatment order to which the person is subject at the time of the hearing and any period during which the person is awaiting trial or hearing on a petition for additional involuntary treatment filed pursuant to RCW 71.05.300 or 71.05.320.

(e) Antipsychotic medication may be administered to a nonconsenting person detained or committed pursuant to this chapter without a court order under the following circumstances:

(i) A person presents an imminent likelihood of serious harm to himself or herself or others;

(ii) Medically acceptable alternatives to administration of antipsychotic medications are not available, have not been successful, or are not likely to be effective; and

(iii) In the opinion of the physician with responsibility for treatment of the person, or his or her designee, the person's condition constitutes an emergency requiring the treatment be instituted before a judicial hearing, as authorized pursuant to this section, can be held.

If antipsychotic medications are administered over a person's objections pursuant to this subsection, a petition for an order authorizing the administration of antipsychotic medications shall be filed on the next judicial day. If deemed necessary by the physician with responsibility for the treatment of the person, administration of antipsychotic medications may continue until the hearing is held;

(8) To dispose of property and sign contracts unless such person has been adjudicated an incompetent in a court proceeding directed to that particular issue;

(9) Not to have psychosurgery performed on him under any circumstances.