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Committee extends temporary law allowing courts more time to place psychiatric patients amid bed shortages
Summary
Lawmakers voted to extend a temporary measure that permits hospitals to seek a temporary court order to hold involuntary psychiatric patients beyond 72 hours in limited cases while the state studies bed capacity and placements; advocates and peer groups opposed making the extension permanent.
The Assembly Health Committee voted to release A5408/S4263, which would extend temporary provisions that allow hospitals to seek a court order for an additional 72 hours (for a total of up to 144 hours) to hold certain involuntary psychiatric patients when hospitals have made good‑faith efforts to find an appropriate placement.
Hospital witnesses described operational challenges that led to the original pilot: a shortage of psychiatric beds and difficulty placing individuals with complicating factors such as active criminal charges, co‑occurring substance use disorders, medical comorbidities or homelessness. Counsel for…
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