Senate backs task force to study involuntary commitment, sponsors stress study over preset outcome

Senate Bill 77, which would create a task force to examine involuntary commitment standards for people with serious mental illness, was advanced to the Utah Senate’s third-reading calendar on Jan. 31 following floor debate.

Senator Blackcomb, the bill’s floor sponsor, described the measure as an opportunity to gather information and to include broad participation from mental-health professionals, families and the business community. "This is a task force bill, but it’s a very important issue…We need to study this and study it thoroughly," the sponsor said.

Lawmakers pressed the sponsor on whether the task force’s work would seek to lower the legal bar for involuntary commitment or require out-of-hospital medication enforcement. Senator Walker asked whether the task force would explore requiring medication when someone is not hospitalized; the sponsor replied that it would.

Several senators urged the task force to protect the rights of people with mental illness and to balance patient protections with public-safety concerns. One lawmaker noted high constituent concern about the issue and stressed that composition of the task force "is the real key" to whether recommendations would favor patient rights or expanded commitment authority.

Following floor discussion, the Senate recorded a roll-call vote and the presiding officer announced the bill had received 20 aye votes and 8 nay votes, sending SB 77 to the third-reading calendar for further work and potential future action.