Effective January 1, 2021, SB 5720 extends the initial detention period. Adults and minors may be detained for an initial period of detention of one hundred and twenty hours (120 hours or 5 days), excluding weekends and public holidays. This is the maximum length of time a person can be detained for assessment and treatment before a probable cause hearing is scheduled to take place. According to established procedures for initiating detention, hospitals may – not – use this extra time to assess and treat a patient. Some patients may be candidates for voluntary, outpatient or less restrictive treatment with the benefit of this additional time; others do not. As always, the clinician`s judgment will determine what is appropriate in the case of an individual patient. Under SB 5720 and HB 2099, DCRs may interview an individual as part of their investigation to determine whether real-time video detention is necessary, provided that a licensed health professional or health care professional is present to assist the person. Hospitals are not obliged to facilitate the use of videos. Institutions are advised to consult with their local RCDs on the feasibility and capacity to facilitate this assessment methodology. See RCW 71.34 (minor). If the average wait time for long-term inpatient accommodation (FPIC) for two consecutive terms is 30 days or less: In response to COVID-19 and the current public health emergency, the health authority issued guidance that the use of video was permitted prior to the new laws coming into force on June 11, 2020.
Instructions can be found here. Subsequently, the Washington Supreme Court issued an executive order (available here) to hold civil hearings during the state of emergency, reaffirming this option to conduct ITA assessments with one important exception. According to the Supreme Court`s decision, a health professional is not required unless the institution and the DCR jointly determine that the person`s presence is required. The ordinance is now in effect and continues to prevail during the state of emergency. Under RCW 71.05, treating providers may force patients to take antipsychotic medications if certain conditions are met. The law provides for two circumstances in which this measure may be appropriate: for short-term treatment of up to 30 days and emergency treatment. The Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) is a tool that provides answers to a number of tax law questions. It can determine whether a type of income is taxable, whether you qualify for certain credits, and whether you can deduct expenses on your tax return.
It also provides answers to common questions, such as determining your reporting status, whether you can claim dependents, whether you are required to file a tax return, etc. SB 5720 also establishes a working group to assess the implementation of the law, including extending the initial detention period to 120 hours. The working group, which will include representatives from hospitals providing short- and long-term engagement services, including Single Bed (SBC) certifications, will meet from July 2020. The first report will include recommendations for the implementation of the 5-day detention model and is expected by December 2020. The more comprehensive assessment is expected by June 30, 2022. View or download the text of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products from the Legal Texts Portal. Hospitals treating minors against their will are strongly advised to review the provisions amending the status of young people in close consultation with lawyers, prosecutors and DCRs. SB 5720 makes several changes to the main definitions of adult and youth legislation. The main change is to expand the detention criteria by changing the definitions of “severely disabled” and “likelihood of significant harm.” However, these changes will only come into effect for certain “triggers” that are unlikely to be met in the near future (with one exception according to the definition of “likelihood of serious harm” for minors below). The WSHA`s approval led to these important legal triggers, as we expressed strong concerns that expanding the criteria without adequate funding to create additional capacity would put tremendous pressure on our behavioral health system in crisis, which is already operating well beyond authorized bed capacity. SB 5720 makes several amendments to the rights of adults and minors and harmonizes rights between the two laws. These rights apply to persons in initial detention, a short-term detention order of 14 days and a long-term detention order for 90 or 180 days of treatment.
Note: For minors, effective June 11, 2020, RCW 71.34 RCW will expand the “likelihood of significant harm” to align with the existing definition of RCW 71.05, but will not go as far as the definition that depends on the CLIP locations above. The new definition of “environment” will include existing references to physical self-harm, property and physical harm, and will also mean that “the minor has threatened the physical safety of others and has committed one or more acts of violence” (underlined wording is new). The Information Technology Agreement (ITA) was concluded by 29 participants at the Singapore Ministerial Conference in December 1996. Since then, the number of participants has grown to 82, which corresponds to about 97% of global trade in information technology products. The participants undertake to completely eliminate customs duties on IT products covered by the agreement. At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference in December 2015, more than 50 members completed the expansion of the Agreement to include 201 additional products worth more than $1.3 trillion annually. Resources for reviewing SB 5720 and evaluating its amendments. This bulletin outlines the major changes to SB 5720.
