Tennessee SB 579: Mental Illness - As enacted, requires the department of finance and administration, in consultation with the department of mental health and substance abuse services and the division of TennCare, to develop and administer a grant program to assist sheriffs who are required by law to transport persons who have been certified by a health care professional for transport to a hospital or treatment resource for a mental health examination to determine whether the person should be involuntarily admitted; authorizes hospitals and treatment resources to conduct a mental health examination to determine whether a person should be involuntarily admitted via telehealth services. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 21; Title 8, Chapter 42; Title 9, Chapter 8; Title 13, Chapter 26; Title 29, Chapter 20; Title 33, Chapter 2; Title 33, Chapter 6; Title 33, Chapter 7; Title 37, Chapter 1; Title 56; Title 63; Title 68 and Title 71.

Bill Text

House Health Committee 1
Amendment No. 1 to HB0643

Terry
Signature of Sponsor

AMEND Senate Bill No. 579 House Bill No. 643*

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by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting instead the following:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 33-6-406, is amended by adding the
following as new subsections:
(c)
(1) Subject to annual appropriations, there is established a grant program
to assist sheriffs required to transport persons to a hospital or treatment resource
for emergency mental health transport under this section. The department of
finance and administration, in consultation with the department of mental health
and substance abuse services and the division of TennCare, shall develop and
administer the grant program. Assistance from this grant program must not be
provided for emergency mental health transports where a physician,
psychologist, or designated professional determines that the person can be
transported by one (1) or more friends, neighbors, or other mental health
professionals familiar with the person, relatives of the person, or a member of the
clergy pursuant to § 33-6-901.
(2) A sheriff may contract with one (1) or more third parties or other law
enforcement agencies to transport persons to a hospital or treatment resource in
accordance with this section. The sheriff shall deem a third party or law
enforcement agency contracted to perform this function to be the designated
secondary transportation agent pursuant to § 33-6-901. Any contract entered
into under this subsection (c) is subject to audit by the comptroller of the treasury

House Health Committee 1
Amendment No. 1 to HB0643

Terry
Signature of Sponsor

AMEND Senate Bill No. 579 House Bill No. 643*

HA0387
008322
-2-
or the comptroller's designee.
(3) A sheriff may receive grant funds provided under this subsection (c)
and pay the grant funds to third parties or other law enforcement agencies with
which the sheriff contracts to transport persons to a hospital or treatment
resource in accordance with this section. The receipt or expenditure of grant
funds received by a sheriff under this subsection (c) is subject to audit by the
comptroller of the treasury or the comptroller's designee.
(d) If telehealth services are available and offered by a hospital or treatment
resource at which a person is proposed to be admitted pursuant to title 33, chapter 6,
part 4, then the hospital or treatment resource may elect to conduct an evaluation for
admission under § 33-6-407 through telehealth as defined in § 56-7-1002.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019, the public welfare requiring it.