Bill Title: To require health-trained personnel to perform a medical, dental, and mental health screening on each inmate upon arrival at a jail, to establish procedures that health-trained personnel must follow if an inmate is taking xanax, ativan, valium, or any other benzodiazepine, and to provide that the sheriff ensure that health-trained personnel responsible for medical, dental, and mental health screening be trained as to symptoms and consequences of withdrawal from addictive drugs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-18 - To Criminal Justice
[HB84 Detail]Download: Ohio-2009-HB84-Introduced.html
As Introduced
| 128th General Assembly | | Regular Session | | 2009-2010 |
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Cosponsors:
Representatives Williams, S., Williams, B., Skindell, Domenick, Mallory
A BILL
| To enact section 5120.101 of the Revised Code to | 1 |
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require health-trained personnel to perform a | 2 |
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medical, dental, and mental health screening on | 3 |
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each inmate upon arrival at a jail, to establish | 4 |
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procedures that health-trained personnel must | 5 |
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follow if an inmate is taking xanax, ativan, | 6 |
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valium, or any other benzodiazepine, and to | 7 |
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provide that the sheriff ensure that | 8 |
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health-trained personnel responsible for medical, | 9 |
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dental, and mental health screening be trained as | 10 |
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to symptoms and consequences of withdrawal from | 11 |
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
| Section 1. That section 5120.101 of the Revised Code be | 13 |
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enacted to read as follows: | 14 |
| Sec. 5120.101. (A) This section applies to a jail that is | 15 |
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used primarily to confine inmates charged with or convicted of any | 16 |
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crime in this state or under the laws of the United States for one | 17 |
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hundred twenty hours or more. | 18 |
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(B) The sheriff who oversees a jail shall ensure that each | 19 |
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health-trained personnel responsible for conducting medical, | 20 |
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dental, or mental health screening under division (C) of this | 21 |
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section is trained as to the symptoms, consequences, and treatment | 22 |
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options of withdrawal from benzodiazepines, alcohol, and other | 23 |
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addictive drugs prior to that health-trained personnel conducting | 24 |
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a medical, dental, or mental health screening. The jail physician | 25 |
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or physician servicing the jail shall ensure that adequate | 26 |
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measures are in place to identify and treat inmates at risk of | 27 |
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withdrawal from addictive drugs. | 28 |
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(C)(1) Health-trained personnel shall perform a medical, | 29 |
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dental, and mental health screening on each inmate upon arrival at | 30 |
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the jail and shall record the findings of the screening. The | 31 |
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screening shall include inquiry into the inmate's use of alcohol | 32 |
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and drugs, including the type of alcohol or drug used, the | 33 |
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frequency and amount used, the date or time of last use, and the | 34 |
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history of any problems after ceasing use. | 35 |
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(2) If the health-trained personnel discover that an inmate | 36 |
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is
taking xanax, ativan, valium, or any other benzodiazepine, the | 37 |
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health-trained personnel shall attempt to verify the prescription | 38 |
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with the prescribing physician within twenty-four hours of the | 39 |
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inmate being admitted to the jail. If the health-trained personnel | 40 |
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are unable to verify the prescription in that time period, the | 41 |
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health-trained personnel shall arrange for the inmate to meet with | 42 |
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a psychiatrist within seventy-two hours of the inmate being | 43 |
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admitted to the jail to ensure that, if the psychiatrist considers | 44 |
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it necessary, the benzodiazepine is tapered off in a timely and | 45 |
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clinically appropriate manner using appropriate, less addictive | 46 |
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medication. If the health-trained personnel verify the | 47 |
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prescription within twenty-four hours of the inmate being admitted | 48 |
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to the jail, the jail physician or physician servicing the jail | 49 |
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shall ensure that the benzodiazepine is tapered off in a timely | 50 |
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and clinically appropriate manner using appropriate, less | 51 |
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addictive medication. | 52 |
| (D) This section shall be commonly known as "Sean's Law."
| 53 |
| (E) As used in this section, "health-trained personnel" means | 54 |
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any member of the jail staff who is trained in limited aspects of | 55 |
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heath care, including any correctional officers and other | 56 |
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personnel approved by the jail physician or physician servicing | 57 |
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the jail. | 58 |
