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Minutes for HB2353 - Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
Short Title
Increasing the amount of time a person may be held for treatment and adding criteria for when continued treatment may be ordered under the care and treatment act for mentally ill persons.
Minutes Content for Thu, Feb 8, 2024
The Chair opened the hearing on HB2353. Natalie Scott provided an overview of the bill. (Attachment 5)
Drew Adkins, Commissioner of Behavioral Health Services, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) testified in support of the bill. Mr. Adkins said the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program (AOT) is a program that does utilize outpatient treatment orders to help those with serious mental illness - mainly schizophrenia, bipolar, schizoaffective disorder and those who have a repeat history of hospitalization and medical non-adherence. He asked the committee to consider passing this bill as they believe it will help individuals with serious mental illness. (Attachment 6) A draft of proposed amendments to the bill that was prepared by KDADS and other stakeholders was provided. (Attachment 7)
Jessica Mays, Assisted Outpatient Coordinator, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services provided information to the committee in response to a question regarding what population this bill would apply to.
Michelle Ponce, Associate Director, Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas testified in support of the bill. Ms. Ponce shared a story from one of their centers about two individuals in their program. She said they support the amendments that have been proposed to the bill as well. (Attachment 8)
Susan Crain Lewis, President and CEO, Mental Health America of the Heartland testified in support of the bill. She said when the bill was originally drafted last year, her organization was prepared to testify in opposition to the bill. She was pleased that over the intervening months, a small group of dedicated individuals representing multiple interests and perspectives spent significant time in dialogue, researching and crafting alternative language and coming to consensus on language that addressed the concerns of all parties. She requested the committee pass this bill. (Attachment 9)
Chris Jones, Senior Fellow and Vice President for Health Care Policy, Cicero Action testified in support of the bill. Mr. Jones said the prevalence of severe mental illness in the criminal justice system and unsheltered homeless populations demonstrates the ways the existing involuntary care framework has been underutilized as a tool to divert individuals whose well-being is rapidly deteriorating and prevent them from becoming homeless or committing crimes due to a lack of care. This bill addresses many of the key reasons for this under utilization. (Attachment 10)
Written only proponent testimony was submitted by:
- Honorable Robert Wonnell, District Court Judge (Attachment 11)
- Honorable Andrew Stein, 16th Judicial District Judge (Attachment 12)
- Ronda Melton, Assisted Outreach Coordinator/Clinician, Four County Mental Health Center (Attachment 13)
- Susan Wallace, Member, NAMI Topeka (Attachment 14)
- Itzel Moya, Assisted Outpatient Treatment Project Director, NAMI Kansas (Attachment 15)
- Sharon Zehr, LSCSW, Bert Nash Community Health Center (Attachment 16)
- Tim DeWeese, Director, Johnson County Mental Health Center (Attachment 17)
- Dr. Sherrie Vaughn, Executive Director, NAMI Kansas (Attachment 18)
- Lane Williams, Legal Director, Disability Rights Center of Kansas (Attachment 19)
- Keona Brown, Assisted Outpatient Treatment Liaison, Pawnee Mental Health Services (Attachment 20)
- Isaac Johnson, Resource Line Director, NAMI Kansas (Attachment 21)
There was no neutral or opponent testimony.
The Chair closed the hearing on HB2353.
