Involuntary commitment.

Assembly Member Krell's legislation expands California's involuntary commitment procedures by requiring county behavioral health directors to include emergency physicians among professionals eligible for designation to perform 72-hour psychiatric holds. The bill amends the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, which authorizes temporary detention of individuals with mental health disorders who present a danger to themselves or others.

Under the proposed changes, emergency physicians working in licensed general acute care hospital emergency departments would be eligible for county designation to initiate involuntary holds, subject to the same training and approval requirements as other designated professionals. The legislation also extends existing liability protections to emergency physicians, exempting them from civil and criminal liability for actions by individuals released during or after the detention period.

The amendments maintain current procedural frameworks while adding emergency physicians to the pool of qualified professionals who can participate in the involuntary commitment process. County behavioral health directors retain authority over training requirements, application processes, and oversight of all designated professionals, including emergency physicians.