Ohio Mental Illness, Civil Commitment Bill

A second bill, introduced in the Ohio Senate on February 14th., is making a number of "changes to the laws governing the civil commitment and treatment provided to mentally ill persons." (See Senate Bill 43)

There is no analysis of the bill at this early point, but provisions within the bill would affect statutes pertaining to Juvenile Court, including "amending the version of section 2151.011 of the Revised Code that is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2014" (regarding Juvenile Court definitions).

Otherwise affected are:

• 2923.125, 2923.1213, 2923.13 (concealed carry)

• 2945.37, 2945.38, 2945.39, 2945.40, 2945.401 (competency)

• 2967.22 (Involuntary commitment)

• 5119.23 (mental and physical condition of confined person)

• 5120.17 (Transferring inmate to psychiatric hospital.)

• 5122.01, 5122.03, 5122.05, 5122.10, 5122.11, 5122.13, 5122.141, 5122.15, 5122.19, 5122.21, 5122.27, 5122.30, 5122.31, 5122.311 (Hospitalization of Mentally Ill)

• 5139.54 (Medical release or discharge from Youth Services)

• 5305.22 (Real estate may be conveyed free from dower if spouse incompetent.)

• 5907.06 and 5907.09 (mentally ill person subject to hospitalization by court order whose mental condition causes the person to be dangerous to the community shall not be admitted to a veterans’ home)

• Enacting section 5122.111 [“To initiating proceedings for court-ordered treatment of a person under section 5122.11 of the Revised Code, a person or persons shall file an affidavit with the probate court that is identical in form and content to the following… (Form)].