SB164 Alabama 2019 Session

Existing law provides authority for community mental health officers to temporarily take into custody individuals who appear to have a mental illness and pose an immediate danger to self or to others. This law is applicable to individual counties only upon a decision of the local judge of probate with approval of the county commission.

This law currently applies only to persons who have reached the age of majority because juvenile courts, not probate courts, exercise jurisdiction over juveniles who suffer from mental illness.

This bill would extend authority to a presiding county juvenile court judge to extend the jurisdiction of a community mental health officer in his or her county to juveniles aged 14 years and older.

Relating to juveniles; to amend Sections 22-52-90, 22-52-91, 22-52-92, and 22-52-93, Code of Alabama 1975, to extend authority to a presiding county juvenile court judge to extend the jurisdiction of a community mental health officer in his or her county to juveniles aged 14 years and older.