PRINTER'S NO. 1369
No. 1147 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY FUMO, TARTAGLIONE, KITCHEN, SCHWARTZ, WILLIAMS, SALVATORE AND HUGHES, OCTOBER 6, 1997
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, OCTOBER 6, 1997
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), entitled "An 2 act relating to mental health procedures; providing for the 3 treatment and rights of mentally disabled persons, for 4 voluntary and involuntary examination and treatment and for 5 determinations affecting those charged with crime or under 6 sentence," providing for discharges of chronically mentally 7 ill persons. 8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 9 hereby enacts as follows: 10 Section 1. The act of July 9, 1976 (P.L.817, No.143), known 11 as the Mental Health Procedures Act, is amended by adding a 12 section to read: 13 Section 307. Discharges of Chronically Mentally Ill 14 Persons.--(a) Persons who are chronically mentally ill as 15 defined by subsection (b) shall not be discharged until such 16 time as the local authorities have developed or agreed to a 17 discharge plan for the chronically ill person. 18 (b) For purposes of this section, a chronically mentally ill 19 person is one who: 20 (1) was committed pursuant to this article; and
1 (2) has been institutionalized for the previous 24 months or 2 36 out of the previous 60 months. 3 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days. I22L50SFL/19970S1147B1369 - 2 -