Senate committee advances Joel Archer substance abuse intervention act to full Senate

A Senate committee voted to report a committee substitute for Senate Bill 761 — the Joel Archer Substance Abuse Intervention Act — to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass and an initial referral to the Judiciary Committee.

The bill, as explained by Committee Counsel, would create a process for petitioning a circuit court to order involuntary treatment and hospitalization for a person the petition alleges is suffering from a substance use disorder and presents an imminent danger to themselves, family or others, or is substantially likely to do so in the near future. "The proposed bill creates the Joel Archer substance abuse intervention act," Committee Counsel said.

Under the substitute the petitioner must be a "qualified individual" and the person subject to the petition must be the petitioner's spouse or dependent as defined in 26 U.S.C. §152. The petition must be a verified filing in the circuit…