Missouri’s legislative session runs from January to mid-May per the Missouri constitution. At the end of the session, many failing bills get attached as amendments to bills that are going through, so it isn’t possible to know what was really passed and really killed until the session is over. We have now gone through summaries of all the bills passed this year to find the legislation relevant to CCHR. We had some good results, with one VERY GOOD anti-psych bill passed, and a number of dangerous pro-psych bills killed.<\/p>\n
The scoreboard:
\nAnti-psych bills passed = 2
\nPro-psych bills killed = 19<\/p>\n
CCHR STL has visited the Capitol each year early in the legislative session with displays on mental health issues which are visited by various legislators. We also visit each legislator’s office delivering an information packet that includes the latest CCHR DVD. We also keep our friends and allies who are actively lobbying at the Capitol informed on mental health (Eagle Forum, Concerned Women for America, Missouri Family Network). We also had one of our volunteers testify at an Appropriations Committee hearing about the lack of result for dollars spent on mental health.<\/p>\n
Your charitable donations and your volunteer time given\u00a0to CCHR St. Louis allow us to achieve these results. Thank you for your support!<\/p>\n
This bill is a conglomeration of many provisions relating to public health, but has\u00a0sections that are very good anti-psych legislation:<\/p>\n
630.167 \u2022\u00a0Allows an adult caregiver with whom a child is living to sign educational and medical consent if the parent is not available.\u00a0Although not directly psych related, this is an important protection as it prevents consent for medical treatment, including psych treatment, from defaulting to the state if the parent is not available.<\/p>\n HB 1070 & HB 2059<\/strong> \u2013 Family Intervention Orders HB 1173 & SB 589<\/strong> \u2013 Statutory cause of action HB 1083<\/strong> \u2013 Statute of limitations for mental health SB 583<\/strong> \u2013 Evidentiary standard for noneconomic damages HJR 45 & SJR 25<\/strong> \u2013 Limitations on non-economic damages HB 1130<\/strong> \u2013 Prohibits denial of mental health treatment HB 1399<\/strong> \u2013 Firearms and ammunition sales tax for mental health HB 1493 & SB 769<\/strong> \u2013 Coverage for eating disorders HB 1605<\/strong> \u2013 Mental Health Month HB 1694<\/strong> \u2013 County Youth Initiative Fund HB 1901<\/strong> \u2013 Multiple provisions on health care, several relating to mental health HB 2058<\/strong> \u2013 Mental health for crime victims HB 2223<\/strong> \u2013 School-based psych clinic for trauma victims SB 739<\/strong> \u2013 MO HealthNet provisions, some relating to mental health SB 937<\/strong> \u2013 Money for involuntary commitments Missouri Legislative Report Missouri’s legislative session runs from January to mid-May per the Missouri constitution. At the end of the session, many failing bills get attached as amendments to bills that are going through, so it isn’t possible to know … Continue reading
\n<\/em>\u2022\u00a0Requires an investigation of reported abuse or neglect of a patient, resident, or client to be initiated within 24 hours and completed within 60 days.
\n\u2022\u00a0The guardian of such patient, resident, or client is to be notified of the investigation and given an opportunity to provide information to the investigators, and shall be notified of the results of the investigation and decision of the department of mental health within five working days of its completion.
\n\u2022\u00a0The department of mental health shall obtain two independent reviews of all patient, resident, or client deaths that it investigates.
\n\u2022\u00a0Requires the department of mental health to develop guidelines for screening and assessment of persons receiving mental health services that address the interaction between physical and mental health, to ensure all potential causes of changes in behavior or mental status caused by or associated with a medical condition are assessed.<\/p>\nSB 532 \u2013 Educational and medical consent by relative caregivers<\/h5>\n
PRO-PSYCH BILLS KILLED<\/h4>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Establishes family intervention orders for the treatment of persons who abuse chemical substances.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Creates a statutory cause of action for damages against health care providers, replacing the common law cause of action for injury or death, and requires finding that the “health care provider failed to use that degree of skill and learning ordinarily used under the same or similar circumstances by similarly situated health care providers and that such failure proximately caused injury or death.”<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Establishes a two-year statute of limitations for actions against a mental health professional for malpractice, negligence, error, or mistake<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Changes the evidentiary standard for noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases, which would include mental health.
\n\u2022\u00a0Changes standard from “preponderance of evidence” to “clear and convincing,” which is a higher, more stringent standard of evidence. This is related to such damages as pain and suffering etc.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Proposes a constitutional amendment granting the General Assembly the power to limit by statute jury awards of noneconomic damages, including against health care providers, which would include mental health.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Prohibits the denial of mental health care and treatment for children who are alleged victims of abuse or neglect and requires guardians ad litem to have training in child abuse and neglect.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Imposes a sales tax upon every retail sale of any handgun or ammunition, at the rate of one cent per transaction, for providing funds for mental health services
\nDied in committee.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Requires all health insurance carriers and health benefit plans to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. Includes psych treatment.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Designates the month of May as “Mental Health Awareness Month” and the first full week of May as “Bipolar Disorder Awareness Week” in Missouri<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Allows counties to pass a sales tax for a County Youth Initiative fund, which “may be expended for the purchase of the following services: (1) Juvenile delinquency prevention and rehabilitation programs; (2) Programs that provide opportunities for at-risk children and youth who are affected by adverse community dynamics; and (3) Programs that attempt to address the tenuous social infrastructure that often leads to crime, welfare dependency, drug and alcohol abuse, high school dropouts, and extended unemployment.”\u00a0 These would be mental health programs.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Mandates assessments and treatment if substance abuse contributed to a crime (Sect. 208.186.1. and 2.).
\n\u2022\u00a0Encourages school based clinics in rural areas (Sect. 208.661.1.). (Would include mental health.)
\n\u2022\u00a0Expands Medicaid for “medically frail,” including disabling mental disorders and chronic substance use. (Sect. 208.991.1.(7) etc.).<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Adds board certified psychiatric-mental health clinical nurse specialists to the list of medical professionals from whom treatment costs may be compensated by the crime victim reimbursement fund.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish a comprehensive school-based mental health program for students dealing with trauma and violence.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Drugs\/alcohol assessment when these are judged to be contributing factors in a crime or child abuse or neglect, and treatment may be required before family reunification (Sect. 208.186).
\n\u2022\u00a0Health clinics encouraged to co-locate on school premises, with prohibitions on abortions and contraceptives, and parental consent required (Sect. 208.661). (This will include mental health.)<\/p>\n
\n\u2022\u00a0Provides for the county counselor of Boone County to receive state money for performing duties related to mental health and mental health facilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"