PENNLIVE | BY CHARLES THOMPSON | 4.20.17
The Pennsylvania House’s Health Committee gave a first approval Wednesday to a bill that would recognize drug overdoses as a cause for involuntary mental health commitments.
At present, such involuntary commitments are tied to apparent mental illness that has led, for example, to a suicide attempt or an attack on others within the past 30 days.
Rep. Matt Baker’s bill would expand that definition of “clear and present danger” to include the ingestion of drugs to the point of unconsciousness, or in need of medical treatment to “prevent imminent death or serious bodily harm.”