2019 Maryland Code
Health - General
Title 10 - Mental Health Law.
Subtitle 6 - Admission Provisions
Part IV - Emergency Evaluations
§ 10-624. Emergency facility
(a) (1) A peace officer shall take an emergency evaluee to the nearest emergency facility if the peace officer has a petition under Part IV of this subtitle that:
(i) Has been endorsed by a court within the last 5 days; or
(ii) Is signed and submitted by a physician, psychologist, clinical social worker, licensed clinical professional counselor, clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing, psychiatric nurse practitioner, licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, health officer or designee of a health officer, or peace officer.
(2) After a peace officer takes the emergency evaluee to an emergency facility, the peace officer need not stay unless, because the emergency evaluee is violent, a physician asks the supervisor of the peace officer to have the peace officer stay.
(3) A peace officer shall stay until the supervisor responds to the request for assistance. If the emergency evaluee is violent, the supervisor shall allow the peace officer to stay.
(4) If a physician asks that a peace officer stay, a physician shall examine the emergency evaluee as promptly as possible.
(b) (1) If the petition is executed properly, the emergency facility shall accept the emergency evaluee.
(2) Within 6 hours after an emergency evaluee is brought to an emergency facility, a physician shall examine the emergency evaluee, to determine whether the emergency evaluee meets the requirements for involuntary admission.
(3) Promptly after the examination, the emergency evaluee shall be released unless the emergency evaluee:
(i) Asks for voluntary admission; or
(ii) Meets the requirements for involuntary admission.
(4) An emergency evaluee may not be kept at an emergency facility for more than 30 hours.
