2012 Utah Code
Title 62A - Utah Human Services Code
Article 15 - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Act
Section 801 - Interstate compact on mental health -- Compact provisions.

The Interstate Compact on Mental Health is hereby enacted and entered into with all other jurisdictions that legally join in the compact, which is, in form, substantially as follows:

INTERSTATE COMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH

The contracting states solemnly agree that:

Article I

The proper and expeditious treatment of the mentally ill can be facilitated by cooperative action, to the benefit of the patients, their families, and society as a whole. Further, the party states find that the necessity of and desirability of furnishing that care and treatment bears no primary relation to the residence or citizenship of the patient but that the controlling factors of community safety and humanitarianism require that facilities and services be made available for all who are in need of them. Consequently, it is the purpose of this compact and of the party states to provide the necessary legal and constitutional basis for commitment or other appropriate care and treatment of the mentally ill under a system that recognizes the paramount importance of patient welfare and to establish the responsibilities of the party states.

The appropriate authority in this state for making determinations under this compact is the director of the division or his designee.

Article II

As used in this compact:

(1) "After-care" means care, treatment, and services provided to a patient on convalescent status or conditional release.

(2) "Institution" means any hospital, program, or facility maintained by a party state or political subdivision for the care and treatment of persons with a mental illness.

(3) "Mental illness" means a psychiatric disorder as defined by the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, that substantially impairs a person's mental, emotional, behavioral, or related functioning to such an extent that he requires care and treatment for his own welfare, the welfare of others, or the community.

(4) "Patient" means any person subject to or eligible, as determined by the laws of the sending state, for institutionalization or other care, treatment, or supervision pursuant to the provisions of this compact and constitutional due process requirements.

(5) "Receiving state" means a party state to which a patient is transported pursuant to the provisions of the compact or to which it is contemplated that a patient may be sent.

(6) "Sending state" means a party state from which a patient is transported pursuant to the provisions of the compact or from which it is contemplated that a patient may be sent.

(7) "State" means any state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Article III

(1) Whenever a person physically present in any party state is in need of institutionalization because of mental illness, he shall be eligible for care and treatment in an institution in that state, regardless of his residence, settlement, or citizenship qualifications.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (1) of this article, any patient may be transferred to an institution in another state whenever there are factors, based upon clinical determinations, indicating that the care and treatment of that patient would be facilitated or improved by that action. Any such institutionalization may be for the entire period of care and treatment or for any portion or portions thereof. The factors to be considered include the patient's full record with due regard for the location of the patient's family, the character of his illness and its probable duration, and other factors considered appropriate by authorities in the party state and the director of the division, or his designee.

(3) No state is obliged to receive any patient pursuant to the provisions of Subsection (2) of this article unless the sending state has:

(a) given advance notice of its intent to send the patient;

(b) furnished all available medical and other pertinent records concerning the patient;

(c) given the qualified medical or other appropriate clinical authorities of the receiving state an opportunity to examine the patient; and

(d) determined that the receiving state agrees to accept the patient.

(4) In the event that the laws of the receiving state establish a system of priorities for the admission of patients, an interstate patient under this compact shall receive the same priority as a local patient and shall be taken in the same order and at the same time that he would be taken if he were a local patient.

(5) Pursuant to this compact, the determination as to the suitable place of institutionalization for a patient may be reviewed at any time and further transfer of the patient may be made as is deemed to be in the best interest of the patient, as determined by appropriate authorities in the receiving and sending states.

Article IV

(1) Whenever, pursuant to the laws of the state in which a patient is physically present, it is determined that the patient should receive after-care or supervision, that care or supervision may be provided in the receiving state. If the medical or other appropriate clinical authorities who have responsibility for the care and treatment of the patient in the sending state believe that after-care in another state would be in the best interest of the patient and would not jeopardize the public safety, they shall request the appropriate authorities in the receiving state to investigate the desirability of providing the patient with after-care in the receiving state. That request for investigation shall be accompanied by complete information concerning the patient's intended place of residence and the identity of the person in whose charge the patient would be placed, the complete medical history of the patient, and other pertinent documents.

(2) If the medical or other appropriate clinical authorities who have responsibility for the care and treatment of the patient in the sending state, and the appropriate authorities in the receiving state find that the best interest of the patient would be served, and if the public safety would not be jeopardized, the patient may receive after-care or supervision in the receiving state.

(3) In supervising, treating, or caring for a patient on after-care pursuant to the terms of this article, a receiving state shall employ the same standards of visitation, examination, care, and treatment as for similar local patients.

Article V

Whenever a dangerous or potentially dangerous patient escapes from an institution in any party state, that state shall promptly notify all appropriate authorities both within and without the jurisdiction of the escape in a manner reasonably calculated to facilitate the speedy apprehension of the escapee. Immediately upon the apprehension and identification of that patient, he shall be detained in the state where found, pending disposition in accordance with the laws of that state.

Article VI

Accredited officers of any party state, upon the establishment of their authority and the identity of the patient, shall be permitted to transport any patient being moved pursuant to this compact through any and all states party to this compact, without interference.

Article VII

(1) No person may be deemed a patient of more than one institution at any given time. Completion of transfer of any patient to an institution in a receiving state has the effect of making the person a patient of the institution in the receiving state.

(2) The sending state shall pay all costs of and incidental to the transportation of any patient pursuant to this compact, but any two or more party states may, by making a specific agreement for that purpose, arrange for a different allocation of costs among themselves.

(3) No provision of this compact may be construed to alter or affect any internal relationships among the departments, agencies, and officers of a party state, or between a party state and its subdivisions, as to the payment of costs or responsibilities.

(4) Nothing in this compact may be construed to prevent any party state or any of its subdivisions from asserting any right against any person, agency, or other entity with regard to costs for which that party state or its subdivision may be responsible under this compact.

(5) Nothing in this compact may be construed to invalidate any reciprocal agreement between a party state and a nonparty state relating to institutionalization, care, or treatment of the mentally ill, or any statutory authority under which those agreements are made.

Article VIII

(1) Nothing in this compact may be construed to abridge, diminish, or in any way impair the rights, duties, and responsibilities of any patient's guardian on his own behalf or with respect to any patient for whom he serves, except that when the transfer of a patient to another jurisdiction makes advisable the appointment of a supplemental or substitute guardian, a court of competent jurisdiction in the receiving state may make supplemental or substitute appointments. In that case, the court that appointed the previous guardian shall, upon being advised of the new appointment and upon the satisfactory completion of accounting and other acts as the court may require, relieve the previous guardian of power and responsibility to whatever extent is appropriate in the circumstances.

However, in the case of any patient having settlement in the sending state, a court of competent jurisdiction in the sending state has the sole discretion to relieve a guardian appointed by it or to continue his power and responsibility, as it deems advisable. The court in the receiving state may, in its discretion, confirm or reappoint the person or persons previously serving as guardian in the sending state in lieu of making a supplemental or substitute appointment.

(2) The term "guardian" as used in Subsection (1) of this article includes any guardian, trustee, legal committee, conservator, or other person or agency however denominated, who is charged by law with power to act for the person or property of a patient.

Article IX

(1) No provision of this compact except Article V applies to any person institutionalized while under sentence in a penal or correctional institution, while subject to trial on a criminal charge, or whose institutionalization is due to the commission of an offense for which, in the absence of mental illness, he would be subject to incarceration in a penal or correctional institution.

(2) To every extent possible, it shall be the policy of party states that no patient be placed or detained in any prison, jail, or lockup, but shall, with all expedition, be taken to a suitable institutional facility for mental illness.

Article X

(1) Each party state shall appoint a "compact administrator" who, on behalf of his state, shall act as general coordinator of activities under the compact in his state and receive copies of all reports, correspondence, and other documents relating to any patient processed under the compact by his state, either in the capacity of sending or receiving state. The compact administrator, or his designee, shall deal with all matters relating to the compact and patients processed under the compact. In this state the director of the division, or his designee shall act as the "compact administrator."

(2) The compact administrators of the respective party states have power to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations as are necessary to carry out the terms and provisions of this compact. In this state, the division has authority to establish those rules in accordance with the Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.

(3) The compact administrator shall cooperate with all governmental departments, agencies, and officers in this state and its subdivisions in facilitating the proper administration of the compact and any supplementary agreement or agreements entered into by this state under the compact.

(4) The compact administrator is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into supplementary agreements with appropriate officials of other states pursuant to Articles VII and XI of this compact. In the event that supplementary agreements require or contemplate the use of any institution or facility of this state or require or contemplate the provision of any service by this state, that agreement shall have no force unless approved by the director of the department or agency under whose jurisdiction the institution or facility is operated, or whose department or agency will be charged with the rendering of services.

(5) The compact administrator may make or arrange for any payments necessary to discharge financial obligations imposed upon this state by the compact or by any supplementary agreement entered into under the compact.

Article XI

Administrative authorities of any two or more party states may enter into supplementary agreements for the provision of any service or facility, or for the maintenance of any institution on a joint or cooperative basis whenever the states concerned find that those agreements will improve services, facilities, or institutional care and treatment of persons who are mentally ill. A supplementary agreement may not be construed to relieve a party state of any obligation that it otherwise would have under other provisions of this compact.

Article XII

This compact has full force and effect in any state when it is enacted into law in that state. Thereafter, that state is a party to the compact with any and all states that have legally joined.

Article XIII

A party state may withdraw from the compact by enacting a statute repealing the compact. Withdrawal takes effect one year after notice has been communicated officially and in writing to the compact administrators of all other party states. However, the withdrawal of a state does not change the status of any patient who has been sent to that state or sent out of that state pursuant to the compact.

Article XIV

This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes. The provisions of this compact are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision is declared to be contrary to the constitution of the United States or the applicability to any government, agency, person, or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and its applicability to any government, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact is held to be contrary to the constitution of any party state the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 8, 2002 Special Session 5