HB70 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rex ReynoldsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Mental illness, individuals in need of care for mental illness, establishes consistency in process of commitment of individuals with mental illnesses, Sec. 22-52-10.11 added; Sec. 22-52-1.1, 22-52-10.2, 22-52-91 am'd.

Summary

HB70 updates Alabama's mental-health commitment laws to standardize threat assessments, expand evaluation and treatment options (including outpatient commitments), and require facilities to review moving inpatients to outpatient care before commitments end.

What This Bill Does

It clarifies definitions and standards for determining when someone with mental illness poses a real and present threat, guiding involuntary commitment decisions. It authorizes law enforcement to transport and deliver individuals to designated mental health facilities for evaluation when there is suspected mental illness and danger. It creates and regulates outpatient commitment as an option, with specific criteria and renewal rules, and requires facilities to assess whether a current inpatient should be moved to outpatient treatment before the current commitment ends.

Who It Affects

• Respondents: individuals with mental illness who may be subject to involuntary commitment; their treatment path could be inpatient or outpatient based on threat assessment and statutory criteria.
• Law enforcement officers, community mental health officers, probate courts, and mental health facilities: they gain new duties and procedures for transporting, evaluating, admitting, petitioning for commitment, and considering transitions from inpatient to outpatient treatment.

Key Provisions

• Adds/updates definitions for mental illness, state/ designated mental health facilities, outpatient/inpatient treatment, respondent, department, involuntary commitment, and real and present threat of substantial harm.
• Modifies conviction- and commitment-related sections to outline when a court can detain, commit, or release a defendant based on real and present threat assessments (15-16-41, 15-16-43, 15-16-67).
• Authorizes a law enforcement officer to, under certain conditions, deliver a person to a designated mental health facility for evaluation (Section 22-52-91).
• Allows a court to commit a respondent to outpatient treatment under specific criteria and provides renewal mechanisms (22-52-10.2 and 22-52-10.4).
• Adds Section 22-52-10.11 requiring facilities to assess, within 30 days before expiration, whether transferring an inpatient to outpatient treatment is appropriate, and outlines the notice, hearing, and modification process.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Mental Illness