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Rules Committee forwards amended "Laura's Law" to full Board after hours of testimony
Summary
The Rules Committee voted June 23 to advance an ordinance to implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment ("Laura's Law") in San Francisco, approving amendments to strengthen voluntary engagement, create a DPH care team, require training and emphasize least-restrictive settings after extensive testimony for and against the measure.
San Francisco's Rules Committee on June 23 voted to forward an ordinance to implement Assisted Outpatient Treatment, commonly called Laura's Law, to the full Board of Supervisors after a lengthy public hearing and negotiated amendments.
Supervisor David A. Farrell, the ordinance's sponsor, said the measure would give families and the city a narrowly targeted option to get treatment to people with severe mental illness who cannot recognize their need for care. Farrell described two parallel efforts: an ordinance the Board could adopt and a ballot initiative; he said the ordinance, strengthened by amendments, would be the preferable legislative route.
"This is no panacea, but it is an important tool," Farrell said, adding that the changes he and colleagues negotiated would create a DPH oversight team and maximize opportunities for voluntary treatment prior to any court order.
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