1 Involuntary Emergency Admissions. Amend RSA 135-C:28 to read as follows:

III. when a peace officer observes a person engaging in behavior which gives the peace officer reasonable suspicion to believe that the person may be suffering from a mental illness and probable cause to believe that unless the person is placed in protective custody the person poses an immediate danger of bodily injury to himself or others, the police officer may place the person in protective custody. Any person taken into protective custody under this paragraph shall be transported directly to an emergency room of a licensed general hospital or to another site designated by the community mental health program serving the area, for the purpose of determining if an involuntary emergency admission shall be ordered in accordance with RSA 135-C:28, I. The period of protective custody shall end when a physician, PA, or APRN makes a determination as to whether involuntary emergency admission shall be ordered or at the end of 6 hours, whichever event occurs first.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

1 Involuntary Emergency Admissions. Amend RSA 135-C:28 to read as follows:

III. NotwithstandingRSA 135-C:28, II, when a peace officer observes a person engaging in behavior which gives the peace officer reasonable suspicion to believe that the person may be suffering from a mental illness and probable cause to believe that unless the person is placed in protective custody the person poses an immediate danger of bodily injury to himself or others, the police officer may place the person in protective custody. Any person taken into protective custody under this paragraph shall be transported directly to an emergency room of a licensed general hospital or to another site designated by the community mental health program serving the area, for the purpose of determining if an involuntary emergency admission shall be ordered in accordance with RSA 135-C:28, I. The period of protective custody shall end when a physician, PA, or APRN makes a determination as to whether involuntary emergency admission shall be ordered or at the end of 6 hours, whichever event occurs first.

IV. When a person is transported to the emergency room of a licensed general hospital or to another site designated by the community mental health program serving the area for a compulsory mental health evaluation under this section, the person shall be transported by ambulance and shall be subject to the care of an emergency medical technician. The individual's consent to transport by ambulance shall not be required; provided however, that if law enforcement deems the individual to be a safety risk to emergency medical personnel, the individual shall be transported by law enforcement.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.