Bill Text: FL H0581 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Forensic Services

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [H0581 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-H0581-Introduced.html
HB 581

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to forensic services; amending s. 916.105,
3F.S.; providing legislative intent that forensic services
4be provided to a person charged with a misdemeanor as well
5as a felony offense; amending ss. 916.106, 916.107,
6916.13, and 916.302, F.S., relating to definitions, the
7rights of forensic clients, the involuntary commitment of
8a defendant with mental illness, and the involuntary
9commitment of a defendant determined to be incompetent;
10conforming provisions to changes made by the act;
11providing an effective date.
12
13Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
14
15     Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 916.105, Florida
16Statutes, is amended to read:
17     916.105  Legislative intent.-
18     (1)  It is the intent of the Legislature that the
19Department of Children and Family Services and the Agency for
20Persons with Disabilities, as appropriate, establish, locate,
21and maintain separate and secure forensic facilities and
22programs for the treatment or training of defendants who have
23been charged with a misdemeanor or felony, and who have been
24found to be incompetent to proceed due to their mental illness,
25mental retardation, or autism, or who have been acquitted of a
26misdemeanor or felony by reason of insanity, and who, while
27still under the jurisdiction of the committing court, are
28committed to the department or agency under the provisions of
29this chapter. Such facilities must be able shall be sufficient
30to accommodate the number of defendants committed under the
31conditions noted above. Except for those defendants found by the
32department or agency to be appropriate for treatment or training
33in a civil facility or program pursuant to subsection (3),
34forensic facilities shall be designed and administered so that
35ingress and egress, together with other requirements of this
36chapter, may be strictly controlled by staff responsible for
37security in order to protect the defendant, facility personnel,
38other clients, and citizens in adjacent communities.
39     Section 2.  Subsections (6) and (7) of section 916.106,
40Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
41     916.106  Definitions.-For the purposes of this chapter, the
42term:
43     (6)  "Defendant" means an adult, or a juvenile who is
44prosecuted as an adult, who has been arraigned and charged with
45a misdemeanor or felony offense under the laws of this state.
46     (7)  "Department" means the Department of Children and
47Family Services. The department is responsible for the treatment
48of forensic clients who have been determined incompetent to
49proceed due to mental illness or who have been acquitted of a
50misdemeanor or felony by reason of insanity.
51     Section 3.  Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
52916.107, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
53     916.107  Rights of forensic clients.-
54     (1)  RIGHT TO INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY.-
55     (a)  The policy of the state is that the individual dignity
56of the client shall be respected at all times and upon all
57occasions, including any occasion when the forensic client is
58detained, transported, or treated. Clients with mental illness,
59retardation, or autism and who are charged with committing a
60misdemeanor or felony felonies shall receive appropriate
61treatment or training. In a criminal case involving a client who
62has been adjudicated incompetent to proceed or not guilty by
63reason of insanity, a jail may be used as an emergency facility
64for up to 15 days following the date the department or agency
65receives a completed copy of the court commitment order
66containing all documentation required by the applicable Florida
67Rules of Criminal Procedure. For a forensic client who is held
68in a jail awaiting admission to a facility of the department or
69agency, evaluation and treatment or training may be provided in
70the jail by the local community mental health provider for
71mental health services, by the developmental disabilities
72program for persons with retardation or autism, the client's
73physician or psychologist, or any other appropriate program
74until the client is transferred to a civil or forensic facility.
75     Section 4.  Section 916.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to
76read:
77     916.13  Involuntary commitment of defendant adjudicated
78incompetent.-
79     (1)  Every defendant who is charged with a misdemeanor or
80felony and who is adjudicated incompetent to proceed may be
81involuntarily committed for treatment upon a finding by the
82court of clear and convincing evidence that:
83     (a)  The defendant has a mental illness and because of the
84mental illness:
85     1.  The defendant is manifestly incapable of surviving
86alone or with the help of willing and responsible family or
87friends, including available alternative services, and, without
88treatment, the defendant is likely to suffer from neglect or
89refuse to care for herself or himself and such neglect or
90refusal poses a real and present threat of substantial harm to
91the defendant's well-being; or
92     2.  There is a substantial likelihood that in the near
93future the defendant will inflict serious bodily harm on herself
94or himself or another person, as evidenced by recent behavior
95causing, attempting, or threatening such harm;
96     (b)  All available, less restrictive treatment
97alternatives, including treatment in community residential
98facilities or community inpatient or outpatient settings, which
99would offer an opportunity for improvement of the defendant's
100condition have been judged to be inappropriate; and
101     (c)  There is a substantial probability that the mental
102illness causing the defendant's incompetence will respond to
103treatment and the defendant will regain competency to proceed in
104the reasonably foreseeable future.
105     (2)  A defendant who has been charged with a misdemeanor or
106felony and who has been adjudicated incompetent to proceed due
107to mental illness, and who meets the criteria for involuntary
108commitment to the department under the provisions of this
109chapter, may be committed to the department, and the department
110shall retain and treat the defendant. No later than 6 months
111after the date of admission and at the end of any period of
112extended commitment, or at any time the administrator or
113designee shall have determined that the defendant has regained
114competency to proceed or no longer meets the criteria for
115continued commitment, the administrator or designee shall file a
116report with the court pursuant to the applicable Florida Rules
117of Criminal Procedure.
118     Section 5.  Subsection (1) and paragraph (a) of subsection
119(2) of section 916.302, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
120     916.302  Involuntary commitment of defendant determined to
121be incompetent to proceed.-
122     (1)  CRITERIA.-Every defendant who is charged with a
123misdemeanor or felony and who is adjudicated incompetent to
124proceed due to retardation or autism may be involuntarily
125committed for training upon a finding by the court of clear and
126convincing evidence that:
127     (a)  The defendant has retardation or autism;
128     (b)  There is a substantial likelihood that in the near
129future the defendant will inflict serious bodily harm on himself
130or herself or another person, as evidenced by recent behavior
131causing, attempting, or threatening such harm;
132     (c)  All available, less restrictive alternatives,
133including services provided in community residential facilities
134or other community settings, which would offer an opportunity
135for improvement of the condition have been judged to be
136inappropriate; and
137     (d)  There is a substantial probability that the
138retardation or autism causing the defendant's incompetence will
139respond to training and the defendant will regain competency to
140proceed in the reasonably foreseeable future.
141     (2)  ADMISSION TO A FACILITY.-
142     (a)  A defendant who has been charged with a misdemeanor or
143felony and who is found to be incompetent to proceed due to
144retardation or autism, and who meets the criteria for
145involuntary commitment to the agency under the provisions of
146this chapter, shall be committed to the agency, and the agency
147shall retain and provide appropriate training for the defendant.
148Within No later than 6 months after the date of admission or at
149the end of any period of extended commitment or at any time the
150administrator or designee shall have determined that the
151defendant has regained competency to proceed or no longer meets
152the criteria for continued commitment, the administrator or
153designee shall file a report with the court pursuant to this
154chapter and the applicable Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure.
155     Section 6.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
feedback