103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2728

 

Introduced 2/16/2023, by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
50 ILCS 754/30

    Amends the Community Emergency Services and Support Act. Removes provisions prohibiting responders from assisting in the involuntary commitment of an individual.


LRB103 29726 AWJ 56132 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2728LRB103 29726 AWJ 56132 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Community Emergency Services and Support
5Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows:
 
6    (50 ILCS 754/30)
7    Sec. 30. State prohibitions. 9-1-1 PSAPs, emergency
8services dispatched through 9-1-1 PSAPs, and the mobile mental
9and behavioral health service established by the Division of
10Mental Health must coordinate their services so that, based on
11the information provided to them, the following State
12prohibitions are avoided:
13    (a) Law enforcement responsibility for providing mental
14and behavioral health care. In any area where responders are
15available for dispatch, law enforcement shall not be
16dispatched to respond to an individual requiring mental or
17behavioral health care unless that individual is (i) involved
18in a suspected violation of the criminal laws of this State, or
19(ii) presents a threat of physical injury to self or others.
20Responders are not considered available for dispatch under
21this Section if 9-8-8 reports that it cannot dispatch
22appropriate service within the maximum response times
23established by each Regional Advisory Committee under Section

 

 

HB2728- 2 -LRB103 29726 AWJ 56132 b

145.
2        (1) Standing on its own or in combination with each
3    other, the fact that an individual is experiencing a
4    mental or behavioral health emergency, or has a mental
5    health, behavioral health, or other diagnosis, is not
6    sufficient to justify an assessment that the individual is
7    a threat of physical injury to self or others, or requires
8    a law enforcement response to a request for emergency
9    response or medical transportation.
10        (2) If, based on its assessment of the threat to
11    public safety, law enforcement would not accompany medical
12    transportation responding to a physical health emergency,
13    unless requested by responders, law enforcement may not
14    accompany emergency response or medical transportation
15    personnel responding to a mental or behavioral health
16    emergency that presents an equivalent level of threat to
17    self or public safety.
18        (3) Without regard to an assessment of threat to self
19    or threat to public safety, law enforcement may station
20    personnel so that they can rapidly respond to requests for
21    assistance from responders if law enforcement does not
22    interfere with the provision of emergency response or
23    transportation services. To the extent practical, not
24    interfering with services includes remaining sufficiently
25    distant from or out of sight of the individual receiving
26    care so that law enforcement presence is unlikely to

 

 

HB2728- 3 -LRB103 29726 AWJ 56132 b

1    escalate the emergency.
2    (b) (Blank). Responder involvement in involuntary
3commitment. In order to maintain the appropriate care
4relationship, responders shall not in any way assist in the
5involuntary commitment of an individual beyond (i) reporting
6to their dispatching entity or to law enforcement that they
7believe the situation requires assistance the responders are
8not permitted to provide under this Section; (ii) providing
9witness statements; and (iii) fulfilling reporting
10requirements the responders may have under their professional
11ethical obligations or laws of this state. This prohibition
12shall not interfere with any responder's ability to provide
13physical or mental health care.
14    (c) Use of law enforcement for transportation. In any area
15where responders are available for dispatch, unless requested
16by responders, law enforcement shall not be used to provide
17transportation to access mental or behavioral health care, or
18travel between mental or behavioral health care providers,
19except where no alternative is available.
20    (d) Reduction of educational institution obligations. The
21services coordinated under this Act may not be used to replace
22any service an educational institution is required to provide
23to a student. It shall not substitute for appropriate special
24education and related services that schools are required to
25provide by any law.
26(Source: P.A. 102-580, eff. 1-1-22.)